The Messenger Angel
by Sarina McNight
Summary: Ayame has a younger sister, who is Yuki's older sister. She may not be a part of the zodiac, but she transforms into something of which Akitou wants to keep away from everyone. But as time goes on, she may have a few secrets to let out and a destiny of
1. Chapter 1

-Chapter 1-

-Intro-

_ I ... I was never supposed to be born... I was never supposed to exist... I was never... supposed to even be a part of this world... then why am I here..? Why am I here...? Am I here to be tortured by the illness that keeps me in this chair or in that bed..? Someone... save me... save me please._ /I 

"Save me..." A small, raspy whisper came from the soft lips of one who felt tortured by her illness and from the head of her family.

Such beauty of the family was kept quarantined, many knew not that she even existed, despite her parents, the head of the family, and her brothers. If anyone knew, they dared not to speak of the knowledge. If they did... there was dire consequences. She sat in a dark bed room. It was plain, nothing to show any kind of personality, any kind of preference. Nothing. Just a bed, a chair, a desk, a notebook on the desk, and a small closet/dresser type combo. She sat by the window, staring out at the trees, seeing the birds, and wishing to be one of them. She hated being what she was, a monster among monsters, at least, that's what she was always told.

The wind came in the window, playing lightly with her long silver hair, lightly touching her light silver eyelashes that shaded her bright yet lifeless, needy blue eyes. Innocence and curiosity. Purity and tainted soul. She was a lovely person to look at. Perfectly proportionate, beautiful curves, thin body, small hands, yet strong muscles. She looked like every man's dream... yet she could never become the kind of girl that any man could hold... except perhaps that head of the family. She sometimes sang to the birds, who either listened, or joined in her song, and the people who lived within the main house, listened as well. They knew that there was a legend of a ghost of a woman morning her love for someone unknown... Yet no one would guess that the person singing was actually alive.

Light suddenly entered the room, and a tall figure stood in the doorway. The girl turned towards it, fear suddenly entering her eyes as she recognized who it was. Someone she wanted nothing to do with... The man was tall, having black hair, long on the sides, and cut short in the back. He had sharp, cold black eyes that showed that he was in no mood to hear her say anything. He was a thin man, wearing a black turtleneck and black pants. The family... knew him as...

"Akitou-sama..." the girl rasped out lightly before taking a small sip of water and clearing her throat for a moment, "what can I possibly do to show you the pleasure of this visit?"

The one known as Akitou walked forward, closing the door behind him, the familiar sound of the lock clicking into place was not that foreign to the girl's ears.

Akitou smiled at her as he answered, "you're going to help me... I need you to do something for me. It may be difficult for you, but if you do well... I'll let you out of this room."

The girl's eyes widened, "h-help you do what, may I ask, Akitou-sama..?"

"You will help me.." Akitou leaned down to her level, placing his thin strong hands on the handles of her wheelchair, his face close to hers, smiling lightly, but his eyes stayed cold, "you will help me, destroy Tohru Honda."

About a week after Akitou's visit, no one came except a maid to give the girl food. No one ever mentioned her name. One would think that they were either ordered to, they were too ignorant of it, or that they were afraid to. Every time the girl tried to start conversation with one of the maids, she slunk back and exited the small room-like cage as fast as she could. And again, the girl would sit there and wonder why she was even alive. To sit in a cage like a captured bird with clipped wings. Only to sing to those that were free and let them hear her beautiful song. The door opened to her cage and she didn't even bother to turn. It was about the time for a maid to come in with food for dinner, so she just presumed that it was one. But the person stepped closer, and the shadow was larger, the shoulders on the shadow were much more broad than a maid's. The girl turned, seeing a tall man with dark brown hair, one side long, covering up his left eye. He was wearing a business suit, and carrying a case that appeared to be a medical bag of some sort.

The girl's eyes softened as she realized who it was who visited her this time. It wasn't the cruel Akitou-sama she knew, and it wasn't the shy and fearful maids that came to her with food. It was a person she actually liked... one that was close to her brother... One that perhaps may know answers to her questions... Would he..?

"Have you been doing better than the last time I came to visit?" He asked, it was small talk as he pulled a stethoscope from his bag and placed the ear pieces into place before searching for her heart beat.

"I believe I have Hatori-san. Then again, there's not much I could do that would strain me." Her voice was light, almost happy as she spoke with the doctor known as Hatori.

"Please, you don't have to be so formal we're only a year apart in age."

"I'm sorry Hatori...-kun." She seemed almost saddened by this.

There was a long silence before she spoke up, while he ran a few small tests on her.

"Hatori-kun... why am I here..? What purpose do I serve... and why was I born..?" She spoke in a sad whisper.

Hatori cracked a slight smile, perhaps to was to comfort her as he continued to run the tests, "from the legends that I've heard... when you transform... you are the angel, working under Akitou-sama, to watch over us, the ones cursed by the animals of the Zodiac... You're the greatest one of us all..." He hesitated when he was about to say her name due to another person entering the small room.

Akitou stood in the doorway, smiling at them both, his sadistic, yet gentle gaze was upon the girl. "It's time to go... Enjeru-sama."


	2. Chapter 2

-Chapter 2-

-The Surprise Dinner-

"Go on ahead Hatori, I'll take Enjeru-sama myself," Akitou said with a light smile.

Hatori nodded, getting up, he whispered something to Akitou that the girl known as Enjeru couldn't hear, despite her excellent hearing, before Hatori left all together.

"Where are we going, Akitou-sama?" Enjeru asked, blissfully unaware of the plans Akitou had tonight.

Akitou smiled, "I'm inviting you to meet the rest of the family... and for them to meet you too. We're all going to have dinner together, and you're the guest of honor."

"Why do you see myself fit for a dinner with the rest of the family Akitou-sama? Surely I am unworthy to even visit such an occasion," She asked, baffled as to why Akitou would want to invite her to dinner with the rest of the family.

"Because, you are my partner, and a part of the family... I'd think eventually, you'd like to see your brothers again." By the time Akitou said this, he was behind her, holding onto the handles of her wheelchair, leaning down to whisper it into her ear.

She gasped, how could he know she had been missing her brothers? She would have killed to see them, to know that they were okay and happy, to know... that they were free.

Akitou began to wheel her into the main house, slowly, letting her regain her composure and nearly emotionless face. Once they entered, he took her to the dinning hall, where it seemed the entire zodiac, save three, were there waiting for them. Gasps could be heard around the room as Akitou appeared there with Enjeru. Yet no one moved, no one really spoke. Akitou took Enjeru and picked her up in his arms, which produced a squeal/surprised almost whine from her. A tall man, with long ashen black hair and bright brown eyes looked alarmed, as he stood up in sync with a man with long pale silver hair and bright yellow eyes, looking almost female, and a teenaged boy, about 16, with grey hair cut similar to Akitou's, but had violet eyes. All three looked overly alarmed at the action Akitou just preformed. But Akitou set her down in a chair next to his and pushed it in.

He looked at the three standing, "did you really think that I would drop my koibito..?"

Everyone stiffened, as well as Enjeru, who gasped and eyes had widened in either terror or shock.

Akitou continued, "I wouldn't drop her, all of you sit down. For those who don't know who this is, this is Enjeru Sohma-sama, Ayame-kun's and Yuki-kun's sister. She's been staying at the Main house for a long time, and she's just finally been well enough to leave her room to meet all of you. Say hello Enjeru-sama."

It took her a little to shake her mind off of the shock she had been handed raw on a plate, but once she did she smiled lightly to everyone and nodded to them all, as if it were a bow in meaning, and said, "I'm happy to finally meet everyone... though this doesn't seem like everyone."

"... One ran off... and another is doing something else for me at the moment."

"...But isn't the cat also a part of the zodiac, whether he is included at the table or not, he still is a member."

"The cat is a disgusting worthless beast that does NOT deserve any affiliation with the Zodiac!" Akitou said, slamming a fist to the table, making everyone jump, "never... NEVER bring that up again, do you hear me, Enjeru-sama..?"

Enjeru swallowed hard but nodded, verbally saying her answer and apologizing for ever bringing it up.

The rest of dinner was dealt in silence. No one felt like speaking, and no one wanted to risk it. If one were to risk speaking at this time, they'd either be scolded, or would suffer the consequences later. After dinner Akitou was going to let Enjeru to talk to Ayame and Yuki, but first, it was going to be him and her. Everyone watched and held their breath as Akitou picked Enjeru up after dinner, and place her inside of her wheelchair again and wheel her out of the room to a deck like area outside of the house. Enjeru looked hurt and almost angry while Akitou took her out, which was a change from the normally gentle look she had. The breeze was blowing lightly in the spring time air and it was warm yet cold at the same time. Akitou turned her chair towards him and knelt in front of her, placing his hands on hers, squeezing gently at first, but his grip became stronger and Enjeru winced. Akitou then let go of her hands, leaving them whiter than her already pale skin. Akitou smiled up at her, the same gentle yet sadistic look in his eyes.

"Enjeru-sama... I want you to remember, that you will always be mine, and you will always do what I say... You will never leave this house or it's grounds without my permission. I will not tolerate it. Because remember, you're going to help me, destroy Tohru Honda, and there is nothing, absolutely nothing, you can do to get away from it." Akitou said sternly, with a hint of gentleness that made shivers crawl up Enjeru's spine.

"I understand perfectly Akitou-sama," Enjeru said, trying to give him a nice smile.

"Now... I want you to stand before me," Akitou said while he stood up, arms opened wide.

"W-what..? Akitou-sama, you know that I cannot stand least I gain more pain and irritability."

"Enjeru... stand now."

"Akitou-sama... you of all people should know of the problem with my legs... please don't make me do this."

Enjeru was born as a premature child, though all of her internal organs were developed, and all of her muscles were too, except for her leg muscles. This caused her to never be able to walk on her own, and great pain to even just stand. Though despite this, she was an excellent archer/marksman at nearly any sport, and her school grades soared. People looked down upon her though because she wasn't like everyone else, with her legs as they were. And only with a great rush of adrenaline, could she ever even stand without pain.

"You will do what I tell you to, and now I want you to stand. Enjeru... you don't want to be locked up again, do you?" Akitou asked, that hint of sadism showing in his voice now.

"A-a-as you wish... Akitou-sama..." Enjeru whispered as she forced herself out of her chair with a whine.

She forced herself into a standing position, though whined and cried as she did so, due to the pain that it caused her.

"Stop crying you twit!" Akitou growled at her.

Akitou pulled back his hand and slapped her across the face, causing her to fall back. Though she caught herself against one of the wooden poles used to hold up the overhanging roof, then throwing her body weight a little, she rushed towards him and threw a hard punch at his jaw, making him stagger back a little, a thin trail of blood running down from his lip. She stood there proud of what she did, even as Akitou got up and grabbed her by the neck. He growled at her before tossing her to the ground and walking off. Enjeru shook slightly as she tried to get up, tears running down her face from the pain. Two figures ran out, one helping her up, the other one speaking.

"Don't worry, you'll be okay." Came a male voice.

When Enjeru looked up at them, it was Ayame and Yuki, Ayame held her, taking her back to her wheelchair, and Yuki was the one who spoke. She smiled upon seeing them, tears still running down her face, except now they were happy tears.


	3. Chapter 3

-Chapter 3-

-Reunion-

Ayame set Enjeru down in her wheelchair gently and went to let her go, but Enjeru hugged on tightly, crying and shaking gently. Ayame knelt down in front of her and let her cry on his shoulder for however long she wanted while Yuki knelt beside her, one of his hands on her back, the other on one of her hands. Yuki decided that he'd tolerate his older brother, so he could make sure that his sister was okay. Ayame whispered to her that everything was fine, and Yuki reassured her as well. Enjeru's tears began to slow and stop only about a half hour after they started.

"Onii-chan... Ototo-chan... I've missed you so much... Akitou-sama lies when he tells you all that I've been sick for all of this time... I've been locked away in a room for 10 years... I don't want to go back there... but if I don't do what Akitou-sama tells me... he'll lock me away again..." She sobbed, shaking still.

"What does he want you to do Nee-chan?" Yuki asked gently.

"He... He wants me to kill Tohru Honda... I don't know who this girl is... but whoever she is... she can't be that bad! After all, she's just a normal human right? What harm could she have done to the family?" Enjeru asked, looking at the horrified and angry Ayame and Yuki.

Ayame looked to Yuki who looked back at Ayame. They nodded then looked back at Enjeru, Ayame telling her, "we'll get you out of here imoto... We'll do anything we can to get you out of here."

"Really..? You'll do that..? But... what if Akitou-sama decides to retaliate? I don't want you two hurt... Please... Don't get yourselves into trouble.." Enjeru said sadly, not wanting her brothers to get into trouble and be hurt by Akitou, knowing how much potential Akitou really had.

Yuki smiled at her gently, "don't worry about us... We'll be fine. And you'll be able to see Honda-san... and see that she's not as bad as Akitou-sama takes her for."

Enjeru then hugged Yuki, holding him close, "please... please tell me you'll defend yourself if Akitou-sama comes after you... Akitou-sama may be the head of the family, but he's no different than us... He's as plagued by the family curse as we are... and you mustn't be afraid to strike back."

Yuki smiled at her again, "don't worry, I'll keep that in mind."

From behind Yuki, there was the sound of someone clearing out his/her throat and Enjeru looked up to see Hatori next to a small boy with light blonde hair and bright blue eyes, wearing something that resembled what a girl might wear. Ayame got up and started to speak with Hatori, quietly for once, while Yuki just held onto his sister, only with one arm around her back now, Enjeru looked over at the boy and recognized him as Momiji, the one cursed with the spirit of the rabbit. Enjeru smiled at him and Momiji walked up to her and hugged her. Enjeru smiled sadly as Momiji cried, mumbling something about his sister Momo and his mom, and something about Akitou as well. Enjeru stroked his hair and soon enough there was another sniff coming from Enjeru's left, in which a small girl with orange hair and golden eyes stood, in a light yellow dress, with a boy who had short light brown hair and sharp, dark sienna eyes wearing an almost uniform type outfit. Momiji knelt back from Enjeru as he wiped his eyes.

"Momiji-kun... who are these two?" Enjeru asked gently.

"Oh..! That's Kisa-kun and Hiro-kun! You never met them before did you?" Momiji asked.

Enjeru shook her head slightly, "no... they must have been born after I was locked in that room... Don't be shy, I don't bite."

Kisa looked at Enjeru and was a little fearful about approaching her, but seeing her kind, gentle smile, Kisa walked forward, though Hiro stayed behind.

"Let me take a guess... Kisa-kun is the tiger." Enjeru said with a light air to her voice as she carried the gentle smile.

Kisa looked away from her, almost ashamed.

"Come here dear..." Enjeru asked, no command in her voice, and Kisa walked a little closer. Enjeru reached out and Kisa knew what the gesture meant. She looked back at Momiji who gave a small hand gesture to go on. Kisa climbed into Enjeru's lap with the help of Enjeru and Yuki.

"You know Kisa-kun..? My favorite animal is the tiger. You don't need to be afraid, think of the tiger as a cunning animal, who is not only smart, but proud, caring, loving, gentle, and dangerous. You're a beautiful girl, you have no need to be ashamed of who you are." Enjeru told her gently, as she hugged Kisa.

"B-but... kids at school..." Kisa started shakily, not able to finish, her gaze downcast.

"Do these kids tease and bully you?"

Kisa gave a nod.

"Then you know what you should tell them? You should tell them that your Aunt Enjeru will come and beat them up if they keep doing it. And I'll do it good." Enjeru said with smile on her face and gave Kisa a wink after saying she'd do it good.

Kisa giggled lightly and Enjeru laughed a little with her.

Enjeru looked up at Hiro who looked away, almost in disgust.

"You must be the ram, am I right Hiro-kun?" Enjeru asked, the gentle smile still on her face, and Kisa still in her lap.

"Humph! Why should I tell you?" Hiro retorted.

Enjeru laughed gently, "stubborn, tends to push his way through, and doesn't like to accept anything new. All characteristics of the ram, and the ones I've already picked up from you Hiro-kun."

Hiro looked off into the distance, still looking pissed as sat on the deck. Behind him came out a girl with dark brown hair and brown eyes, strong body, wearing a light green dress with cat back pack on her back, beside a tall boy with white hair on top and black hair on the bottom, stern eyes with a tee-shirt and a pair of pants on. Enjeru laughed a little.

"Kagura-kun and Hatsuharu-kun! I haven't seen you two since you were children! You both aren't beating Kyou-kun up too much are you?" Enjeru asked, laughter holding in her voice.

Hatsuharu and Kagura both just smiled at her, Yuki smiling lightly as well. Next came out a guy with long light hair and almost girlish eyes and attire along with Shigure. Enjeru looked up at them and some of her laughter died off. She nearly glared at Shigure and her left hand clenched in response to seeing him. Yuki noticed this and looked up at her concerningly.

"You're not still holding those old grudges are you, Enjeru-kun?" Shigure asked, the man next to him, Enjeru had recognized was Ritsu but was too busy glaring at Shigure to acknowledge him.

Everyone's head snapped up at Shigure, hearing how he said Enjeru's name.

"Shigure-kun... Why'd you even have to suggest to Akitou-sama to have me locked away in that room for ten years..?" Enjeru asked sternly, Kisa removing herself from Enjeru's lap and going to Hiro.

"You WHAT?" Yuki, Ayame and Momiji yelled at the same time.

"Oh, why'd you have to bring up that dark time?" Shigure asked.

"Because everyone has a right to know what you did to me!" Enjeru retorted.

"Did you ever think that it was Akitou-sama who wanted you all to himself? The greedy bastard wants you completely to himself, and I proposed to idea to have you locked in the main house, it was him who thought it would be brilliant, not me."

"Though that's not all of your reasons! You thought that you'd protect Ayame-nii and Hatori-kun from me, pray tell, why do they need protection from me?"

Everyone watched the argument like a ping pong match, looking from Enjeru to Shigure.

Shigure walked up to Enjeru and leaned down, hands grasping her wheelchair, he leaned down further and whispered in her ear, "because... you fell in love with Hari-kun and I don't want him being hurt by a fallen angel like you pretend to be. You're no better than us, Enjeru, and I plan to make you see that. Akitou-sama may see you as an equal to him, or even higher than himself, but to me, you're nothing but a lowlife piece of crap and I'd like it better if you were locked in that room for all eternity."

Shigure held as much hate and disgust in his voice that he could muster, while Enjeru tried her best to force him away. But she had forgotten...

"A lot of help your powers are... After that seal was put on." Shigure whispered to her again.

"Get... away from me!" Enjeru gasped as tears entered her eyes again, while a faint burning appeared on her hand.

"But Enjeru... We had so many good times together... why would you push me away now?"

Enjeru dug her nails into Shigure's hands, breaking the skin and she didn't let go until Shigure pulled back, once he did, cursing her name in as many ways he knew, she had pushed away from him, though she hadn't noticed how close to the edge of the deck she was until she felt herself falling, only to be caught. She looked up to see Hatori there and she sighed lightly. Hatori helped her up and held onto the back of her wheelchair firmly.

"Now Ayaa-kun... Why are you acting this way?" Shigure asked, Ayame and Yuki were now in front of their sister.

"You have no right to hurt imoto. Even if we are friends, I won't let you put her through more pain!" Ayame said sternly.

"It wasn't me, it was Akitou-sama, you really think I'd do this to her?"

Everyone gave him a stern look or a look that said, "well you are capable.." and Shigure backed up a little. His shocked look turned to one of betrayal as he spun around and went back inside, looking almost hurt.

"We're going to get you out of here… And you'll stay with Ayame-kun, alright?" Hatori asked her softly.

Enjeru nodded, not wanting to spend another second in the house.


	4. Chapter 4

-Chapter 4-

-Home-

"Enjeru-sama...? Enjeru-sama!" Momiji nearly whined, which sounded more like a shocked yell, as he ran up to her.

Everyone's heads turned towards Enjeru, who had doubled over in her chair, clutching her heart and was panting. Momiji knelt in front of her and Yuki took her hand, whispering to her that everything could be fine. With every exhale she whined. Momiji moved out of the way for Hatori, who turned to Hatsuharu and barked for him to go and get Hatori's dark blue medical bag from his home that stood about ten yards away. Hatsuharu obeyed and ran off, while Hatori took Enjeru's face in his hands, stroking away her pained tears with his thumbs. Enjeru shook with sobs and her strong yet speeding heartbeat, she was still shining with every exhale.

"H-Hatori...-kun... I don't... want to ... go to sleep... again!" Enjeru whined as Hatsuharu came back with the bag, opening it and setting it next to Hatori.

"Enjeru-sama... It's the only was we know to slow your heart rate." Hatori said calmly as he pulled a hand away from her face to start a syringe with light lavender liquid in it.

Enjeru suddenly grasped Yuki's hand as her body began to shake more, "I'm scared... I'm so scared," she rasped out, her voice growing weaker by the moment.

"Enjeru-...chan," Hatori whispered into her ear, "I'm right here; I won't let anything happen to you."

"P-promise?"

Hatori's hand traveled down to Enjeru's chin as he smiled lightly, "of course I promise."

He then pulled her forward slightly, placing his lips firmly yet gently on hers as he injected the liquid into her jugular vein. Everyone's eyes grew wide as well as Enjeru's, a dark red blush showing up on her cheeks. Hatori pulled back and put away the syringe then turned around just in time to catch Enjeru as she passed out. Enjeru's eyes closed, her hand slipping from Yuki's as she fell forward from her chair. Hatori caught her and held her until she completely fell asleep.

"What did you do to her?" Yuki nearly yelled.

"I gave her the only thing that would help her heart calm down. However, because of the rapid slowdown she falls unconscious for a while. There was one time with the last family doctor where he gave her too much of that fluid..." Hatori trailed off, an almost pained look on his normally near emotionless face.

Ayame picked up from where Hatori left off, "she was unconscious for a week...suddenly she stopped breathing... Hari-kun and I were in class at that time. The principal came in and called Shigure-kun and us out and told us what happened. When I went to the main house, she was gone... Akitou-sama said that he was going to the hospital to visit his 'angel'. 'Enjeru' means 'angel' and Akitou-sama always thought of her as his.

"So we went to the hospital, mom and dad always loved or cared about imoto more and Yuki-ototo was kept at the main house... when we saw her... she was hooked up to about 5 machines, one for her heart, one for her breathing, and some others... Surrounded by all of those machines, she looked so fragile... Since then, imoto always hated that medicine, hated hospitals, and hated the family doctor.

"Akitou-sama thought to protect her and made her live at the main house. She tried to pretend nothing ever happened, but we all knew she was terrified... right after high school I offered for her to live with me... But Akitou-sama decided that it'd be better if she stayed here." Ayame finished with a small sigh, looking towards his little sister.

"How many times has she had an attack since she's been here?" Ritsu asked, his voice sounding very feminine and quiet.

"In the past ten years she's had 428 attacks... Three fourths of them, Akitou-sama never knew about... Over the years however, her heart has become weaker from all of the strain Akitou-sama places on her. The attacks are more violent and she tends to transform during an attack." Hatori explained.

"But if her heart is getting weaker, then if she has more attacks..." Kagura trailed off.

"She'll die within two years if she stays here." Hatori said calmly.

"Then we have to get her out of here." Yuki said.

Hatori and most of them nodded.

"She can stay with me. Akitou-sama hates going near my home, and I'm sure that she'll be comfortable, and I'll make it so she can move around easily... Shigure-kun has no more room in his home, besides, after what he did to her, I'm not about to let imoto stay with him... and she'd still be in danger if she lived with Hari-kun, because he lives here at the main house where Akitou-sama can get to her easily." Ayame said, placing a finger to his chin, an arm wrapped around his waist to support his elbow on.

Enjeru made a small whine as her eye brows came together, her right hand shakily moving around her, to touch a part of her back before she curled up a little and bright white feathered wings grew from her back, causing a few more whines and slowly she opened her eyes, soft, calm, caring, merciful green eyes. The wings folded to a closed position as Enjeru fought to keep her eyes opened. Kisa and Hiro nearly tip toed over, almost as if they were both afraid of what had just happened. Enjeru smiled at them, still cradled in Hatori's arms. Enjeru then looked up at Hatori with a light smile on her face before it turned to worry, as she reached up to his face to brush away the hair that hid his left eye.

"Hatori-chan… Where did this scar come from?" Enjeru asked her voice much lighter than before, as she traced her finger down a scar by his left eye.

"Akitou-sama gave me that a while ago… Why?" Hatori asked, but was answered soon enough.

Enjeru's hand glowed a little at the fingertips where she touched Hatori's scar. The light from her fingertips was warm, and healed the scar, making it fade and disappear quickly. She smiled up at him, and he gave a light smile back. Ayame sat next to them, while Hatsuharu leaned against a pole, Kagura sat against the house while Kisa and Hiro sat down near Yuki. Enjeru sat up in Hatori's lap and slowly stood up.

"Enjeru-chan…! What are you doing?" Hatori asked, almost in a panic as he stood up behind her.

Enjeru turned around and smiled up at him, "I'm going to tell Akitou-sama that I'm moving out."

Though once she tried to take a step towards the door, she nearly toppled over, or at least she would have fallen on her face, if Hatori did not catch her.

"Are you alright?" Hatori asked.

Suddenly Enjeru began to laugh. At first, it was a small chuckle before it grew into an amused laughter that seemed to infect everyone. Hatori helped Enjeru back into her wheelchair while everyone calmed down. Enjeru's smile stayed on her face as Hatori gained a look of dread. Yuki and Ayame did not look too amused either.

"Now, let's go tell Akitou-kun the news." Enjeru said with a smile.

"Enjeru-chan, if you want to see Akitou-sama, you have to change, remember?" Hatori asked.

"Akitou-kun doesn't deserve to see me in a kimono right now, please Hatori-chan, we must tell him that I'm going to leave the main house or I'll die living here."

About an hour later, Hatori was blocking Akitou from hurting Enjeru while Yuki and Ayame held Akitou back. Akitou looked a little red in the face from anger. Enjeru stood, placing an arm on Hatori's as she passed him and stood before Akitou. Her eyes were determined and stern.

"Akitou-kun, I'm going to live with Ayame-nii for a while until I finally get my own home. You're supposed to be the head of this family and yet you act like a spoiled child." Enjeru said with calm anger.

"Why do you demount me? Why betray me Enjeru-sama?" Akitou yelled angrily.

"Akitou-kun, you are no better than us. If it were not for you, not able to hold the entire curse by yourself, I would not be dying now. If I stay here, I will die quicker Akitou-kun. If it would be easier on you, I will stay with Hatori-chan for a week before moving in with Ayame-nii."

Akitou called her several obscenities at the mention of "Hatori-chan" then something clicked in his mind as he somehow pulled away from Yuki and grabbed Enjeru's throat. She tried to use her other ability, but Akitou only laughed. Enjeru gasped for air, practically clawing at Akitou's hand.

"Akitou-sama let her go!" Hatori yelled and pleaded.

"Do you think you're better than I? Do you really think I'll let you go? I'll let you live your I 'Hatori-chan' /I but you will never leave there! I won't let you leave!" Akitou said, throwing her back with enough force to make Hatori stumble back as he caught her.

I 'It's been two days since that happened..' /I Enjeru thought as she sat on the deck of Hatori's home. She remembered that she had transformed back from her winged form and barely remembered what happened. Currently the sun was shining brightly, a few clouds passing over the light blue sky. A like warm breeze blew through her long silver hair and ruffled the sleeves of the shirt she wore. Hatori had given her one of his shirts to wear, at least until Ayame and his employee had made or bought suitable clothes for her to wear. She also wore a long black skirt, of which was one of the only things Ayame let her keep from the clothes she had.

A few butterflies flew by her, one resting on her hand. Upon seeing it, Enjeru smiled, but it soon fell as she felt a shadow loom over her. The butterfly fled as Enjeru looked up to see none other than Akitou. He smiled maliciously at Enjeru as he saw the rising fear in her eyes. She swallowed as hard as he walked around her and knelt behind her. His arms circled her shoulders as he held her close.

"Akitou-sama… why are you here?" Enjeru asked.

"I apologize for reacting the way I did. I was not feeling well, and the shock put me overboard. But… If you want to leave, you only have to do one thing for me while you live elsewhere," Akitou whispered by her ear, a tinge of darkness in his calm voice.

"Akitou-sama, I don't want to hurt anyone," Enjeru said quietly.

"Enjeru-sama, I'll give you something you've always wanted … I'll give you your power back," Akitou said with a persuasive smooth tone, pulling his right hand back and lightly touching her back.

Enjeru gasped, her eyes growing wide.

"All you have to do, is destroy Tohru Honda mentally. I have a great confidence that you won't let me down." Akitou said before Enjeru winced and gave out a small cry of pain, falling forward before catching herself with her hands, a small amount of sweat beaded on her skin, burning pain on her back.

Akitou stood, smiling at her lightly, knowing she would do what she was told. Hearing rustling, he turned to his left and saw Hatori there. Akitou smiled at him as Hatori walked forward but before Hatori reached this home, Akitou had turned and left. Hatori went and knelt in front of Enjeru, holding her face in his hands. He looked worriedly at her, pulling out a handkerchief and wiping away the sweat from her face.

"Enjeru-chan," He said softly, "what happened?"

"My back… it's burning… Hatori-chan… my back is burning," she said softly.

"I'll take you inside," Hatori said before picking her up.

Hatori cradled her in his arms and brought her inside, setting her down softly on a rug. He went over and closed the door before he went back to her. He asked if she would let him look at her back and she nodded. Hatori knelt next to her and slowly unbuttoned the shirt she wore and slipped it off her shoulders, her beige bra keeping Hatori from seeing too much.

"H-Hatori-chan? Is the seal still there?" Enjeru asked.

"Enjeru-chan… it's fading," Hatori said quietly, touching the small intricate circle on her back.

Enjeru shivered and whined when Hatori touched the spot and he quickly pulled his hand away. Knowing he could do nothing for her, made him frustrated thinking that they would just have to wait until the pain subsided. Within Hatori's half lit home, Enjeru nearly fell against him, hugging him around the middle, pained tears running down her face as she buried her face in the vest he wore. Hatori took his suit jacket, placed it on her shoulders and held her close, trying to figure out how he would protect her from Akitou.


	5. Chapter 5

-Chapter 5-

-Family Problems-

(AN: This is a short chapter told from Enjeru's perspective, and is completely in first person. So don't get too confused! Happy reading.)

Ever since I can remember, Mom and Dad always treated me differently than Ayame and Yuki. I'd always tell them that they should look after Yuki more, but they just laughed. I remember one time, very vividly, Ayame-nii and I were in the hall, I was doing homework while leaning on the window sill and Ayame-nii was just passing through. Of course I've been in a wheelchair since I was three, so I always had a place to sit. Both of us were in our school uniforms, a black uniform for Ayame and a black and white sailor style top with a black skirt for me, black knee socks on my feet.

"Another meeting Ayame-nii, or were you out with Shigure-kun and Hatori-kun?" I asked, keeping my eyes on my paper, doing the work without much thought.

"You don't need to worry about it imotto," Ayame said as he normally did.

"Where do you think Yuki-ototo is?"

"Probably in his room again."

Though, we soon found out that Yuki wasn't in his room any longer as we heard shouts from Mom and Dad as well as Yuki's crying. I moved myself to the main room of the house, wheeling myself in my wheelchair with some trivial effort. I saw Yuki ducking his head as he cried while Mom and Dad yelled at Yuki about something, to this day I could not remember exactly what it was, though both Mom and Dad seemed very angry. I tugged on Ayame's shirt, asking him to help Yuki, but Ayame never moved, watching Yuki as if it was a normal daily occurrence.

"Ayame-nii, do something, " I pleaded.

Ayame however just turned his back on me. So I decided to take action myself and put myself in front of Yuki. When I think about the moment, the frames play slowly, almost like a slideshow, but really it happened so fast, I wonder how my mind could keep up. Though now that I think about the incident, I find that I had gotten up out of my wheelchair, ran across the room, and stood between my mother and Yuki just as she went to slap him. Though however it happened, I had been the one slapped across the face. The firm hand of my mother landing on my cheek is one thing I remember most, and I had never known that the stubborn yet seemingly fragile woman I called mother, was so strong until I fell to the floor, skidding a tad.

I remember that I had a burning pain. It hurt so much to move, so I didn't. It hurt so much to breathe, hurt so much to think. Mom let out a high pitched scream, yelling for the doctor to come, Dad running out. I saw Yuki for a brief moment before Mom shoved him away. I knew my body had curled up, I could see my knees, both of my arms and hands, and my hair was everywhere. I suddenly felt something hot and wet touch my left cheek that was against the floor. Even though my mother had slapped my right cheek, it seemed both sides of my face were burning, and in my ignorance, I found myself wondering what the dark crimson liquid was, that pooled around my head. But before I could ask mom, everything went completely dark.

I was told that it took me 16 hours to wake up again, only to wake up in a hospital bed. Never again has Mom looked at me with anger. I think she still remembers that time. Then again, I haven't seen mom in ten years, so, who's to say? Who's to say that she hates Yuki for that time. No one can truthfully say and I know that she'd never admit to it, even if she did. Oh well, I guess that it's her own fault. Though I do know that Yuki blamed himself for me getting hurt, despite countless times I told him that it wasn't his fault.

I think mom liked me more due to the fact that she could hug me, and not have me transform into a snake or a rat. Mom never liked those animals. Come to think of it, I'm not sure she really liked anything. One thing she absolutely hated was my power, and I think she's the reason it was taken away from me. Even though I only used my power in extreme cases, and only in defense, I think she still hated it. Especially after what I had done to Dad...

That is one of my most horrific memories as well as one of the last times I ever saw the man I called my father. Many a time he blamed me for things crashing to the floor, things breaking, when in reality, they fell on their own. I soon became sick of it, and lost control. That day was the first time that I had ever hurt anyone, and it was the last. I couldn't stand seeing anyone in pain, and after I had lost control on that day, seeing so much blood come from someone who had tried to protect me for so many years, it was painful for me as well. Though, they couldn't protect me from everything...

My father told Akitou what had happened, and he decided that my ability would be taken away. That ability was telekinesis, the ability to move things with the power of the mind. A small intricate circle, resembling a tattoo, was placed on my back as a way to seal in my power. I became very vulnerable for the next few years, not being able to defend myself well. My power gone, and not being even able to walk for nearly any period of distance... I felt very weak. My health showed it, due to I was absent from school a lot more and under the care of the family doctor for a while, having attacks more frequently.

However... after that time with the doctor... when he gave me too much of the injection used to calm my heart rate, I was terrified of anyone who tried to help me, terrified of doctors, hospitals, and that injection... Akitou sought to protect me in his own ways. After High School was over for me, and once I graduated, Akitou forced me to live in a small home on the main house grounds. I was kept there, not allowed to talk to anyone, so I'd sing in the morning when the sun rose, and I'd sing at night when it went back down again. People called me a ghost because no one knew someone was living in that house, save for Hatori who came by to check up on me when he started becoming the family doctor, and once he did. Yuki and Ayame knew I was being kept at the main house, but they didn't know exactly where. Mom was never told either.

If I wasn't kept there, I probably would have illustrated children's books... I love kids and drawing, painting, and sketching. Or help Ayame with designing clothes... Ayame, Yuki and I ... all share one dream. To create something that others can use... To be of some use to others... Ayame does this by making clothes, Yuki does this by seeing to it that everyone's problems and concerns are heard so that they may be taken care of... I just haven't gotten the chance to try and fulfill my dream yet... Now maybe I will.


	6. Chapter 6

- Chapter 6 -

- Meeting Tohru -

Enjeru laughed to herself, it had been a long time since those memories had come up. Perhaps it was due to having too much time on her hands, or the lack of an intension span to do much of anything at that time. Whatever it was, it seemed she was excited to get away from the main house, though disappointed that she'd be moving away from Hatori. The memories had come from nearly daily visits from Yuki and Ayame, as well as a call from her mother. Enjeru had thought that her mother had either forgotten about her, or just didn't care any more. Though all she did was shrug and let it go. Her mother could never have any more power over her. Thinking back to the time when her mother exercised that power, Enjeru seemed like a vulnerable child, easily taken over by any person who was more assertive than herself. Causing her to be the smart, silent child in class, usually picked on and nearly always shaky. She cringed every time someone yelled at her and cried when they raised their hand to hit her. Girls always used her to get near Ayame, Hatori and Shigure.. And she hated it. But now that time was over. She had learned to be assertive, but only usually found that courage when she transformed. It was like a boost of power and grace for her and it allowed her that extra bit of confidence to speak her mind, or anything she really wanted to tell.

"Are you ready to go Enjeru-chan?" Hatori asked.

Enjeru jumped, not realizing that Hatori had come up. She looked to him and smiled gently as she nodded and reached up to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on as he looped one of his arms beneath her knees, and an arm around her mid back so that he could pick her up and carry her to his car. Enjeru giggled a little as he carried her, which brought a faint smile to his face. Though anyone could see how upset he was to let her live with Ayame instead of with him. But he figured it was for the best, due to Akitou living within a short walking distance from himself. Hatori lowered her into the car's passenger seat and shut the door gently for her before walking around the car and getting in himself. He drove to Ayame's home and spoke with Enjeru gently. It was small talk to cast a shadow over his sadness of her leaving. Though she didn't miss the look in his eyes that gave it all away. When she asked or said anything about it, he denied ever thinking anything like it.

She started to stare out the window, watching the people, animals and houses go by as they kept moving. She smiled a little, missing the feeling of a car, missing the ability to watch things go by as they drove on. She looked over at Hatori again and reached for his hand. He let his right hand drop into her left one and steered the car with his left hand. He glanced at her a moment and smiled, seeing how happy she looked. She grasped his hand reassuringly for a moment.

"It's going to be alright. Ayaa-nii will take care of me... He will, really. This is better, even though I'll miss you a great deal, I may have time to recover... I won't be within reach of Akitou-sama... and that way, I won't get hurt," Enjeru said gently, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Enjeru-chan... I know this is the best thing we can do for you... But... I don't want to let you go," Hatori replied, squeezing her hand back.

They rode in silence the rest of the way to Ayame's home, parking a block or two before the house. Hatori turned to Enjeru, who leaned over and hugged him tightly. He closed his eyes and hugged her close, almost possessively, like a prized jewel he didn't want to lose. Suddenly, he felt her sob and he loosened his hug and tilted her head up to look at him. She was crying, tears rolling down her face.

"Oh Enjeru-chan.." Hatori whispered as he pulled her closer, hugging her tightly.

She grasped his shirt in her hands, balling them into fists as she bit her bottom lip. She was shaking, burying her face in Hatori's shoulder. He gently stroked her hair, tilting his head down so that he could whisper into her ear how she needed this, how she needed to be away from Akitou. How he'd miss her as well, and how she needed to just be strong. Though they sat there for a while like this, Enjeru soon calmed down and sat up, wiping the tears from her face. Hatori reached over and wiped a few of the tears away with his thumb as he whispered that he loved her. She whispered back just the same.

Hatori righted himself in his seat and started up the car again, going all the way to Ayame's home. Once he got there, Ayame burst out of the door in an intricately designed, long black coat, that was really a shirt, and matching pants. His hair was braided and laid on his shoulder. Enjeru nearly rammed her head against the dashboard when she saw him. Hatori calmly took Enjeru's wheelchair from the trunk of his car and set it up before helping her out of the car and into it. Once she was seated in her wheelchair, Ayame nearly tackled her with a firm, yet gentle hug. Hatori wheeled Enjeru up to the store, of which was the front for Ayame's home. Ayame began talking about how he'd decorated her room, and about some of the new clothes him and Mine made for her. Apparently Ayame was oblivious to the large sweat drop that appeared beside Enjeru's and Hatori's head.

Once inside of the shop, a high pitched female voice squealed, "YOU'RE HERE!"

"Oh god..." Enjeru had the time to whisper before the brown haired, maid dressed girl known as Mine nearly attacked her.

"Now Mine, let her settle in first. You don't want to scare her too badly," Ayame said with a smile.

"Can I dress her up, can I?" Mine asked excitedly.

"Ayame-kun, shouldn't you show Enjeru-chan around your home?" Hatori asked.

"Ah! Yes! We shall give you a tour!" Ayame exclaimed.

Ayame had successfully completed giving Enjeru a tour around the house, and Mine had attacked her with a dress, of which she wore now. It was black, and long sleeved and had a turtleneck form hugging all the way to her hips, where the dress flared out a little. Small outlines of hand embroidered dark red flowers on the skirt portion of the dress and the sleeves went down to the first knuckles of her fingers, hugging her skin. Mine had clipped a part of Enjeru's hair up in the front to keep her long bangs out of the way. When Mine wheeled Enjeru out of the room to the one Hatori and Ayame were in, Ayame kept whispering something to Hatori. A light blush came to Enjeru's cheeks when she saw Hatori.

Suddenly a knock came to the door and Mine rushed to get it, when she walked back in, Yuki, Shigure, Kyou and Tohru followed her. Shigure greeted everyone with his normal hello and received a disapproving look from Enjeru and Hatori, though Ayame acted as if nothing happened a few days before between any of them. Enjeru said hello to Yuki and Kyou and then inquired to who was with them, for she had never met Tohru before and only heard stories. Tohru introduced herself and Enjeru smiled at her.

"So you're the Tohru Honda I've been hearing so much about. I'm glad to finally meet you," Enjeru said gently.

Tohru blushed, seemingly flattered.

Enjeru glanced at Kyou, who looked extremely pissed, "Kyon-kyon what's wrong..?"

"Don't call me that!" He shouted back.

"You never had a problem with it when you were younger..."

"That was then!"

Enjeru cringed, and suddenly an empty clothes rack crashed to the floor. Tohru and Mine yelped while Kyou jumped. Yuki, Hatori, Shigure and Ayame just stared at Enjeru. Mine laughed to herself a little and mentioned that she was going to go set it upright. Ayame agreed to her doing so and asked Mine to go make some tea for them all. Mine complied and left the room without another word.

"Kyou, you have to be careful with your tone of voice around Enjeru-chan," Hatori said calmly.

"Are you trying to say that the crash was caused by onesan?" Yuki asked.

"Akitou-sama lifted the seal from her and now she can use telekinesis again."

"WHAT?" Several people shouted, which caused Enjeru to cringe horribly and the clatter of several racks falling could be heard from another room.

"I'll get it!" Mine's yell could be heard through the house.

"But... Akitou-sama took that power away to keep people save... If he gave it back to her, then that would mean that he trusts that she won't hurt anyone with it... right?" Yuki asked.

"I don't know why he gave it back to her, but he did, and she's learning how to control it again," Hatori said calmly.

Enjeru bit her bottom lip as her back heated up she hunched over and whined, "no... no... no, no... no. No!"

"Enjeru-kun..?" Shigure asked.

"Imotto, what's wrong..?" Ayame asked.

"Onesan..?" Yuki asked.

"Enjeru-chan, tell us what's wrong," Hatori asked her gently, kneeling in front of her.

"Get Tohru-san out of here..." She whispered.

"Why, what's wrong?"

Enjeru only let out a whine as she was shaking, she opened her right hand then slowly began to clench it and Tohru was gasping for air, as if someone was choking her. Kyou tried helping her while Yuki realized the connection with Enjeru clenching her fist and Tohru suffocating. Hatori realized it too. Enjeru whined and cried while Yuki and Hatori forced her hand into an open position and Tohru took in a long ragged deep breath while Enjeru was still shaking. She whined about Akitou controlling her, about how Akitou wanted Tohru dead. Then finally her body went still and she found herself leaning against Yuki, eyes closed in exhaustion, tears running down her cheeks.

Hatori left Enjeru for only a minute to check on Tohru, but once he saw that she was fine, no real damage done, they all decided that it would be best, if Tohru and Enjeru were not left alone in the same room. Or that Enjeru would be left alone at all. The situation was explained to Tohru and she said she understood, but no one was fully sure. So they left it alone, and Hatori took Yuki, Kyou and Tohru home while Shigure and Ayame spent more time together, Enjeru sleeping in her room while Mine worked on something for a customer. If first impressions mean everything... Enjeru didn't make such a good one.


	7. Chapter 7

- Chapter 7 -

- Secret -

A few months had passed since living with Hatori and Enjeru didn't really know how to spend her days but to sit and wait for something to happen really. She sketched in notebooks, and sometimes Ayame and Mine wanted her to try on new dresses, whether it was for someone else, or it was for her, she was usually the person who'd try it on so that they could put the finishing touches on it. Though Enjeru didn't really like to be used like a doll, she lived through it anyway, just for something to do really. She appreciated how Ayame tried to help her through everything, and how Mine tried to help as well. Though usually they had done quite the opposite of helping. 'Oh well' she always thought when something started to backfire on them. She always kept a smile, never once frowning or looking upset. She wanted it to look like everything would be fine.

Even though Hatori came over once a week to 'check up' on her, she missed him a great deal. Sometimes one would find her by a window, staring out it in old habit, perhaps wishing that Hatori's car would roll up, or someone she knew would walk up the driveway. This particular day was a Tuesday. Hatori came by every Saturday and didn't leave until Sunday afternoon to evening, he spent the night with her. She rarely got sleep when he was over. They'd stay up until the very early hours of the morning, talking, holding one another, and random bouts of playful argument about Hatori wanting her to sing to him. She always gave in sooner or later and usually hummed a tune she made up on the spot. After a while of this, she'd usually find Hatori asleep, holding her still while he rested against the head board of her bed. Not too much later she'd fall asleep against him, only to be woken up at god forsaken hours of the morning by Ayame talking loudly about how cute they looked.

But today, today is Tuesday. Two days after Hatori was there, and four days until he'd be there again. Enjeru found herself staring out the window with loneliness in her eyes, longing on her face. She never heard the door open or see Ayame enter. She was too occupied looking out at the driveway, appearing to be waiting for some sort of surprise visit. Ayame backed out of the room, closing the door gently, he waited a moment, thinking before he burst into her room this time. She gasped when he came in as he hugged her from behind, his arms around the front of her shoulders. She looked up at him and couldn't help the smile that came to her face.

"Are you busy today?" Ayame asked.

"No, why, what did you want to do today?" Enjeru asked.

"We're going on a trip! Only an outing, we'll be back before dark. Hari-kun's going to give us a ride. He'll be here in a half hour."

"Ha... Hatori-chan's going to be here..? But it's Tuesday..."

"Hari-kun needs to check up on Yuki-ototo and we haven't visited in a while... so I asked him to take us there."

"What's wrong with Yuki-ototo?"

"He's sick... Ah, Hari-kun's early!" Ayame said, looking out her window before he went to go let Hatori in, leaving Enjeru by herself.

Enjeru looked worried. She wondered why Ayame never told her that Yuki was sick. Maybe he felt that he wouldn't worry her with a small cold that Yuki may have. She worried, knowing how he was since he was small. Knowing that a cold could cause more than just a miserable day for him, just as standing was more than just an effort for her. She bit her bottom lip before she turned her wheelchair just as Hatori walked in with a small smile on his face, Ayame behind him saying something about how she kept looking for him through the window.

She looked worriedly up at him, "is Yuki-ototo alright..?"

"I'm told that it's only a cold, we'll find out soon though," Hatori said as he went to the back of her wheelchair and pushed her to the entrance of the store front.

"But... is he going to be alright Hatori-chan..?"

"He'll be just fine koishii. He'll be fine."

Hatori helped her into the passenger side seat, while Ayame voluntarily took the back seat, laughing and talking on and on while Hatori drove down the road, ignoring him the entire time. Enjeru looked to Hatori during the drive, then watched homes and people as they passed them. She was worried about Yuki, hoping that he'd be just fine, but she also worried about Hatori. She saw a faint scratch beneath his eye, his hair covering it, but she tried not to notice it. She never told him that she saw it either. Hatori was distant right now. She could tell by the look in his eyes, that he wanted to be with her more, but she also saw pain there too.

Enjeru kept looking out the window as thoughts and memories came up about Kana, the only other girl Hatori had been with. Was Enjeru jealous? Perhaps she was. Enjeru had wanted to tell Hatori that she liked him since they were in high school together. But then she was locked up in that room. When she had gotten the chance to tell him, Kana was already in the picture. Sometimes Enjeru would ask about Kana, Hatori didn't tell her much, other than he was happy. Enjeru hummed and sung sad songs, and cried especially when she heard that Hatori had asked to marry Kana. Though, just before Kana had her memory erased, Enjeru had finally accepted her as someone who would always be there for Hatori. Enjeru felt that she wouldn't ever be able to be there for Hatori like Kana was. Enjeru felt that she'd never be able to have a relationship in any way. When she had heard about Kana's memory being erased, she cried even more. She wished she could have been there for Hatori... but she couldn't.

The car stopped and Enjeru jolted out of her thoughts, looking around, she recognized Shigure's home in front of them. Hatori got out, rounding the front of the car to the passenger's side while Ayame bailed from the back seat and brought a wheelchair out of the trunk. Hatori picked Enjeru up out of the car and carried her almost to the door, they heard Tohru say that Hatori was there. Ayame wasted no time in barging into the house, calling Yuki's name. Hatori placed Enjeru into her wheel chair then wheeled her inside.

Tohru gasped upon seeing Ayame and Enjeru at the house as well. Tohru tried to nicely calm Ayame down, she claimed him to be sleeping, which would be a miracle at this point. Ayame, never used to anyone really telling him to do anything, didn't follow directions until Enjeru spoke up and gave them. After hearing Enjeru's voice telling him these things he needed to do, like be quiet, he promptly followed each and every direction. Enjeru smiled lightly and laughed a little.

"Yuki is in his room, yes?" Hatori asked Tohru.

"Yes, up the stairs, third room on the right." Tohru instructed.

Hatori smiled a little, "alright, up we go Enjeru-chan," Hatori said quietly as he picked up Enjeru.

Enjeru's lips curled up a little. She looked over Hatori's shoulder and mouthed to Tohru to keep Ayame busy, and that Enjeru had told Ayame to listen to Tohru. Hatori glanced over at Enjeru's face, her eyes were sparkling at Tohru, with what seemed like to Hatori to be amusement and a small bit of envy. Whatever it was, he left it alone and carried her up the stairs up to Yuki's room. The small room was neat, as she had expected from her little brother. Both of her brothers were never messy or unorganized. Ayame was always gently picking on Enjeru for her messy desk and nicely helping her clean everything up.

Hatori set her on the side of Yuki's bed so that she was sitting next to her sleeping brother. Hatori placed his hand for a moment on her head before leaving to go get his medical bag. Enjeru watched Hatori leave before she looked back to Yuki. Yuki's face was slightly flushed with fever, a slight sweat on his brow. Enjeru pulled out a handkerchif and folded it into a square before dabbing it on his forehead. Yuki groaned Tohru's name in question as he turned toward his sister and slowly opened his eyes.

"Onee-chan..? What are you doing here?" Yuki asked quietly, with a small wrasp to his voice.

"Sh," she cooed softly, "Hatori-chan brought me, he's just going to make sure nothing bad will happen to you."

"Who called him?"

"Don't worry, Tohru-kun called him. She's concerned for your health," Enjeru said softly, brushing the hair out of his face.

"How are you doing? Akitou-sama's not controlling you anymore, is he?" Yuki asked, his own concern twisting his kind, sweet face to that of concern and a glimmer of hate.

"Don't worry ototo-chan. I'm fine. I have my power under control."

A knock came to the door and both Yuki and Enjeru turned to see who it was. Hatori walked in with a small smile on his face as he glanced at the brother and sister. He set his bag at the end of the bed and gently instructed Yuki as he ran a couple of tests. Enjeru watched Hatori, for a moment her eyes filled with worry and sadness, but when Yuki caught her eye, she smiled at him as if there was never a moment of worry. Yuki looked up at Hatori to see what had worried his sister, due to he had seen the worry and sadness. He then saw the scratch below Hatori's eye, though he had seen it better than his sister, and it was indeed worse than what she had seen it as.

"Hatori-san, what is that cut beneath your eye from?" Yuki asked once Hatori had removed the themometer from Yuki's mouth.

"It's nothing," Hatori said with a small glance to Enjeru.

Enjeru saw the pain in his eyes, and he saw the unmistakable heart break in hers, "Hatori-chan... what happened?"

There was slight shame in his voice, "I'll tell you later."

She grabbed his arm, tears gathering in her eyes, "Hatori-chan... please... Did Akitou-sama do that to you? Was it because of me?"

Hatori closed his eyes and tilted his head away from her, pulling away from her a little. She let his arm fall through her fingers.

"I'll leave Tohru-kun with instructions. Call me when you're done up here Enjeru," Hatori said as he left the room with his bag in tow.

Once the door closed Enjeru broke down and cried.

"Onee-chan... What happened?" Yuki asked.

"Oh Yuki-ototo..." Enjeru whined and moaned quietly between two sobs as she threw her arms around her brother, who was sitting up by now.

"What happened?" Yuki asked, letting his older sister cry on his shoulder.

"Hatori-chan and I talked about it for a long time... we want to get married some day... I don't want Akitou-sama to hurt him... I-I don't know what happened... I didn't even know he met with Akitou-sama today."

"Onee-chan..."

--

Hatori had not left the top floor when he left, he had stood outside of Yuki's room and listened to Enjeru and Yuki. He closed his eyes, his hand clenching into a fist and shaking. He hated himself right now for not telling Enjeru what had happened, and what he knew. He wanted to tell her, he really wanted to tell her, but he couldn't. It'd change their lives forever. So instead of broading over it too long, he calmed down, sighing a little before he finally went downstairs and gave Tohru directions on how to take care of Yuki. Though before he could do much else, Shigure, acting like his old self, stole Hatori from the living room and pulling him into Shigure's study with Ayame. Ayame's and Shigure's hysterical laughter could be heard from the room a few moments later.


	8. Chapter 8

- Chapter 8 -

- God v. His Angel -

(A/N: This chapter is a little bit more... I don't want to say perverse, but what is discussed is personal for the characters and a bit sexual. So far the story has been rated about PG - PG13 this is suggested for perhaps a little more mature audiances. You may not find anything wrong with what is in this chapter, but to be on the safe side, I feel the need to put this up. Oh, and one thing I forgot, Akitou goes off the deep end. Expect bad language in an abundance. Thank you and happy reading.)

"Enjeru-chan... I'm sorry... for not telling you sooner..." Hatori said softly, walking towards Enjeru.

Today is Saturday, it's late, about ten o'clock. Ayame had called Hatori because Enjeru had locked herself in her room since Tuesday when Hatori had brought Enjeru home. He hadn't called her, hadn't said anything to her, pretty much completely ignored her. Ayame resorted to getting Mine to give her food through her window. Mine talked to Enjeru sometimes, but others she just let Enjeru be. One day, Thursday, when Mine and Enjeru talked, Enjeru asked to go to the store with Mine. Mine didn't mind and allowed her to go. She didn't even pay attention to what Enjeru bought, nor did she really care. But Enjeru went directly back to her room and locked the door. When the girl had tried to get a hold of Hatori after that, he wouldn't answer. He never picked up the phone, and she didn't want to tell him anything over his answering machine. So she sat and waited.

Enjeru looked up at Hatori, her hair hanging in her eyes as she looked up at Hatori, an almost lifeless shine in her eyes when Hatori had walked into her room after picking the lock on her door. Hatori's heart broke at the sight of the one girl that seemed so full of life all of the time, despite the situation, who now looked so broken, thin and betrayed. Hatori glanced at her desk, she hadn't been eating by the looks of what seemed to be two days of breakfast, lunch and dinner accumilated in the trashcan and on her desk. She hadn't drawn anything in days, her supplies still neatly put away. He closed the door behind him and stood there, both watching each other for a moment.

"Enjeru-chan... I'm.. sorry..." Hatori said softly to her.

"So what happened between you and Akitou-sama? Are you going to tell me now?" Enjeru asked slowly, her voice filled with pain of the unspoken actions that she knew happened to him.

Hatori looked down, he knew he had to tell her, and was reluctant to do so, but he did anyway, "I went to see Akitou-sama... about us. Akitou-sama was angry... He told me that if he wouldn't let me have Kana, I couldn't ever have you... We argued... and that's what happened."

"Hari-chan..." Enjeru whispered affectionately.

"Enjeru-chan... I'm sorry... For not telling you sooner," Hatori said as he walked towards her and sat on the mattress next to her.

"I tried to call you... I have something to tell you... before everyone else finds out."

Hatori looked confused, "what is it?"

"I'm... We're..." she sighed, finding this harder than she thought to tell him, "I-I'm... p-pregnant."

Hatori's eyes widened before he closed them and dragged her into his arms, hugging her tightly like a beloved possession. She looked up at him for a few minutes, worry on her face, not knowing if his reaction was good or bad. His hand found the base of her skull, his fingers sifting through her hair, he pulled her closer, so that her chin was resting on his shoulder while he burried his face in her hair, behind her ear. Tears entered her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him around the middle.

"I wanted to tell you first... I don't want Akitou-sama to find out from anyone else," Enjeru whispered.

"We will tell him... We'll tell him together... If he tries anything... If he tries to hurt you..." Hatori said, anger growing in his voice.

"Hari-chan, talking like this isn't like you," she said jokingly.

"I mean it koibito, I mean it."

There was a long pause before someone spoke up.

"What are we going to do? About this baby I mean..." Enjeru asked.

Hatori pulled away from her a little, looking down at her, brushing the locks from her face, "I'll build onto my house at the main house... Once it's done you can move back in. I'll make it so there's enough room for three. I want to do as much as I can for this child... I am as much responsible for it's exsistance as you..."

Enjeru hugged him tightly whispering over and over, "I love you..."

Hatori let out a short breath of a laugh and adjusted position so that he was slouching against the headboard of her bed, with Enjeru laying against his chest, arms around his waist. His arms were around her as he held her like a precious doll. It seemed as if nothing could seperate him from her. And eventually in the silence and darkness, only illuminated by a single lamp and a clear night sky, Enjeru fell into sleep.

Hatori watched her for a long time, and before he knew it, night had skipped to morning as Ayame's voice could be heard, jolting him out of the dark quiet abyss of his sleep. He looked down to Enjeru to see if she was awake yet. Hatori shook his head gently at her. She had grown so accustomed to the home, that she had learned to sleep through Ayame yelling, praising, or just plain carrying on. So he shook her gently as he glanced at the time. It was just about nine o'clock in the morning, a good time for getting up. She groaned lightly at Hatori for waking her up, and once he told her of the time, she jolted awake, remembering what they wanted to do.

She rubbed her eyes a bit and slowly sat up. Hatori kissed her hairline and told her that she should get a shower, and he'd be in the kitchen. She nodded and slid over the bed spread, pulling herself into her wheelchair, she wheeled herself to the bathroom that was connected to her room. As soon as she closed the door, Hatori got up and left her room, anxeity on his face. He wanted to get to the mainhouse, wanted to get this overwith, but he also didn't want to confront Akitou so soon. He had just gotten in a fight with Akitou on Monday, now it was Sunday.

He also concidered her health as well. She always seemed perfectly healthy on Sundays, and recently she had been healthier than ever. He wondered faintly what being pregnant would do to her. If it'd keep her healthy, or if she'd be in even more need of medical attention. He sighed, knowing that broading over this for too long would eventually kill him. He made a small breakfast of pancakes for Enjeru and himself while Ayame occupied himself by singing.

Enjeru rolled herself into the kitchen, wearing a nice black long sleeved shirt with a high chinese style collar and a flowing black skirt, lace at the ends of it. The skirt was shorter than her normal skirts, this one comming up to just below her knees and black socks on her feet. She smiled up at Hatori as she wheeled herself into the kitchen and up to the small table in there. Without a word, they ate breakfast in silence.

--

Hours later, nearly the entire main house could hear the fighting and arguing going on in Akitou's room. Enjeru was on the floor, a long cut across her right cheek, Hatori was holding Akitou's wrists, standing between him and Enjeru. Akitou was fighting to get to Enjeru. Akitou wasn't just mad, he was furious. Hatori had gained a gash in the head from Akitou's blind rage. Hatori had then realized what Akitou meant those years ago, when he called Enjeru his. And he saw more than ever that Akitou didn't want anyone to get near her like Hatori had. Akitou didn't want anyone touching her.

"Enjeru, why have you done this to me? You are mine, and mine alone. You were fine until you left this house, and once you did, you became a whore!" Akitou shouted at her, tilting his head so he could see past Hatori and see her looking back up at him with anger to rival his own.

"I was never yours Akitou! Never! And I never will be! You know the history as well as I, and you've been trying to prevent the prophecy from two hundred years ago comming true!" Enjeru yelled back at him, sitting up straighter.

Akitou fought against Hatori harder, and managed to fling Hatori off for a few minutes. Akitou lunged after her and she dodged him, but then he whipped around and his hand caught her throat, shoving her against the wall. She gasped and struggled for air and a horrible grisly grin came upon Akitou's face.

"If you die, then there is no prophecy," Akitou said with a malicious tone.

"And if I die... you die. Take your pick," she spat back at him.

"Do you not value your life very highly?" Akitou asked, which sounded more like a demand.

"I just can't stand a person like you, younger than I, deciding to dictate whether I can bear a child or not. This child was concieved with love, and I'll make sure that it'll live surrounded by it."

Akitou's grip tightened, "if the kid is a girl, it won't matter, I'll still win."

Enjeru winced yet kept her cool, "and I have a good mother's intuition that this child is a boy."

Akitou's eyes narrowed to mere slits, filled with hatred and anger at the girl he had called his for so long, he saw the hatred in her eyes, but there was a glimmer of something else, and he was too late to interpret it due to being flung across the room. Enjeru's eyes flashed a bright green as her feathered wings burst from her back, magically making it's way though the fabric of her shirt. Hatori knelt by her, making sure she was alright. She looked at him a moment and he backed off a little. This was now between Akitou and Enjeru.

"Akitou, this fight should have taken place long before this," Enjeru said, her cold, angered stare moving back to Akitou.

"Bitch... After everything I've done for you..." Akitou spat.

"The prophecy says... that when the Angel bears a child, everything will change. If the child is a girl, the curse becomes worse, as to if one is embraced by any sex, then they transform. If the child is a boy, the curse will be controlable or ultimately broken. Each head of the family has isolated the Angel so that the curse would not either get worse, or better," She explained smoothly, her hand raising.

"You think you're smart Enjeru? You think you've figured it all out have you? You've only touched the tip of the ice burg bitch."

"You may symbolize god in this family, but you're nothing, you're not even worth a piece of shit. You think you're better than us?" Enjeru yelled at him.

"You think you hold the key to saving them? You think you're this almightly savior Enjeru? Do you? The only thing you hold is your pitiful life!"

"You're words have NO value Akitou! NONE! I'm not a pitiful scared child that would do anything to stay away from a hospital! I'm not that pitiful child you once knew! You can't take this baby away from me, you can't take Hatori from me either! You can't have control over everything Akitou, and you never will! Just because you're jealous doesn't mean that you can force others not to get together!"

"Why would I be jealous of you pathetic pieces of shit?"

"Don't pretend like I don't know, don't even try it! You're isolated in this house, in this life, living day to day depending on others to keep you alive. You're afraid that if Hatori and I get married that you'll be left here. You're afraid that if Yuki falls for someone or lives with them, that you'll never see him again. You're afraid that if Hiro and Kisa get together that you'll lose another possession. You're AFRAID."

Silence was carried through that room for a long time. It seemed like ages, and the silence was defening. There had been so much yelling and damnation in the room before that it seemed almost wrong that there was now nothing, not even a creak of a floor board, a small song of a bird beyond the window, or the shuffling feet of a servant. Akitou's head was hung, he never looked up at her, though she could see the blood trickling down from the corner of his mouth, creating small dots of beaten shame and embarassment on the floor.

"Get... Out," Akitou snapped.

"So you've decided not to kill me anymore..?" Enjeru asked with a slight mocking tone.

"Just. Get. Out." Akitou spat, glaring up at her.

"Alright. Come on Hari-chan... Let's go." Enjeru said softly with a sigh of relief.

Hatori looked at Akitou for a few moments, Akitou giving him a loathing sort of look, while Hatori gave him an even look back. He finally left Akitou, turning his back on him. Hatori knelt by Enjeru and asked her softly if she needed help to get to her wheelchair that was on the other side of the wall. She nodded a little and he picked her up, smoothly standing and lifting her as if she were a feather. He left Akitou's room, taking Enjeru with him, ignoring her wheelchair and just taking her directly to his home so he could treat her cut and the swelling bruises that had begun to develp. When passing a servant, he muttered to her to attend to Akitou, he kept walking as the servant bolted to the head of the family's room.

Hatori kept on going to his home, his eyes drooping, the gash in his head was getting to him. Enjeru looked up to him with worry as he entered his home, Enjeru opening the door for him, he shut the door with his foot before taking her further, the door not closing all of the way, but it was good enough to him. He took her into his bedroom, setting her on the bed before going to get his bag. He came back in and immediately began to attend to her. She protested a bit, but he ignored it and attended to her slight injuries still. She finally pushed his hands away and pulled him into the bathroom, tying her hair up into a loose bun. She washed the cut in his scalp and found it needed to be stitched. Biting her bottom lip, she asked him if there was anything that she could numb it a bit with. He instructed her on where to find it, and she applied it before she quickly stitched up the cut. Once she figured out how to bandage it, she did.

"I'm sorry for what happened in front of Akitou..." Enjeru said softly, looking down.

"You said what you felt. And you spoke the truth." Hatori justified.

"Hari-chan..." She nearly whined as she grabbed fistfuls of his shirt, hiding her face against his chest, "I don't want to leave here."

He leaned against the wall of the bathroom, due to they hadn't left the small space yet, "I don't want you to either," he said petting her hair as she still kept hiding her face in his shirt.


	9. Chapter 9

- Chapter 9 -

- The Accident -

(A/N: Short chapter, but important chapter.)

When Enjeru and Hatori had told everyone about Enjeru's pregnancy, about two days after their meeting with Akitou, the entire Sohma estate was buzzing with surprise and joy. It seemed that no one could really be happier than every Sohma was, and soon every person who had overheard the arguments between Enjeru and Akitou, understood why Akitou was so angry, and Hatori had gotten hurt. Hatori's home had an addition put on, a bedroom for their confirmed son. Hatori was very good at taking care of Enjeru, especially when it came to the final months of her pregnancy. She once in a while spent the night with Ayame, for old times sake, and she'd visit Shigure's home now and then.

Shigure and Enjeru had made up, the dog wasn't such a bastard, especially once Hatori talked to him. He was actually very happy that Enjeru was going to bear Hatori's son. Tohru was especially happy to hear the good news. Hatsuharu took time to go and visit Enjeru and sometimes even helped her out, which seemed odd to nearly everyone. Yuki took time out of every week to go to the main house to visit Enjeru too. Though Enjeru could tell how jealous Akitou was. Enjeru was gaining more attention than ever by being pregnant. And everyone noticed how Akitou locked himself in his room.

Enjeru was nearly nine months into her pregnancy, and Hatori had decided that he'd try to do something special for her. He had gotten Ayame to keep her over at his house for a bit. And while over there, Ayame had decided that it would be best to dress her up in something he had created on the spot. Mine didn't mind, she loved dressing up Enjeru, and the pregnant woman just allowed it to happen. Ayame had dressed her up in a violet dress with elaborate embroidery that resembled butterflies along the bottoms of the long skirts, and the bow in the back of the dress resembled a butterfly as well.

Mine did Enjeru's hair, bringing a good portion of her bangs back, and curling it as well. When Hatori walked into Ayame's home, in his normal black suit, his eyes danced with amazement. As she looked up at him, a light blush came to her cheeks. She smiled at him, and he returned the gesture. Mine had done a little bit of makeup on the pregnant girl, and Ayame made a comment to Hatori that if any guy looked at her, they'd want her, and that he'd better marry her quick. Hatori nearly hit Ayame over the head for the comment, but calmed when he heard Enjeru laugh. He gave her a hopeless smile before kneeling before her and kissing her lips gently in their normal hello.

He took her outside, and they rode away to Hatori's home. Hatori helped her by carrying her into his home, despite the extra weight she held now, he still could pick her up, just with a little more effort than before. He told her to close her eyes and she complied. He placed her down on a pillow before a table. When Hatori told her that it was alright to open her eyes again, she saw the table before her, set up with nice china, lit candles, and champagne in his glass, sparkling water in hers. She teared up and looked at him before throwing her arms around his neck.

"You even remembered that I don't drink anything with alcohol in it," she said to him with an amused smile.

Hatori wiped her tears away with a thumb, "of course I remembered. I'm not just your boyfriend... I'm your doctor too."

Enjeru burst out in a small bit of laughter, she had nearly forgotten that Hatori was her doctor as well. Since living with Ayame and or Hatori, she had about an average of one attack every two months, and she hadn't had one attack since she had become pregnant. Hatori let out a chuckle then told her that he'd be right back. He came back with food for the both of them, though due to Hatori being a doctor, he had brought out salad. Enjeru let out a quiet bit of laughter, instantly understanding the irony of the moment.

"Hey... Hari-chan... How about, we skip dinner, and go straight to dessert?" Enjeru asked with a playful smile.

Hatori let out a chuckle and told her that if she ate her salad, they'd skip the main meal. Enjeru giggled lightly, telling him that he'd be a wonderful father. He gave her a smile as he started to eat. They ate in near silence, watching each other over the flames of the candles between them. Hatori took her bowl of salad away when she was done eating and came back with two bowls of chocolate ice cream, both topped with whipped cream and a cherry. He sat next to her, instead of across the table and he set her bowl in front of her. He only looked away for a moment, when he looked back at her, she held the cherry from her ice cream in front of him. He gave a small chuckle and ate the cherry as he took her left hand in his and slipped something onto her ring finger.

Hatori leaned over and whispered into her ear, "will you marry me?"

Enjeru gasped, but didn't take much time to answer, "of course, of course I will."

It was at that moment, that the baby in Enjeru's womb had decided that he wanted out, and her contractions started. She let out a whine and squeezed Hatori's hand tightly. Hatori asked her what was wrong, and she gasped out that she was going into labor. Hatori quickly got up, blew out the candles and grabbed a small bag that Enjeru had packed a while ago, just for this moment. She had another contraction as he came into the room. Hatori picked her up and put her into his car's passenger's seat, mindful that his medical bag was in the back seat. Once he got into the driver's side and closed his door, he drove off to the hospital.

Akitou watched them drive off in a hurry with a disgusted look on his face. He couldn't stop that baby being born, but he may be able to stop one thing... His little Angel wasn't going to be happy for very long.

Hours later, Hatori entered Enjeru's hospital room, Enjeru smiled up at him, a small baby in her arms with a splash of dark hair on his head. Hatori smiled at her and sat on the bed next to her, smiling down at both the mother and their son. Enjeru sat there, tired looking, wearing the hospital shirt the doctors gave her. The baby slept in her arms, and Enjeru looked as if she wanted to follow suit. Hatori reached out to her and she carefully handed him their son, in which Hatori held just as gently as his fiancée did. Enjeru rested back against the pillows of the hospital bed, watching Hatori and her son.

"What're we going to name him?" Enjeru asked tiredly.

"All this time, and we haven't given him a name," Hatori said gently with slight amusement.

Enjeru smiled a bit, "how about Hiroshi?"

Hatori looked from the baby to his fiancée, "Hiroshi?"

"Yeah... It means generous. I think he'll be a very sweet boy, wanting to help everyone and would do nearly anything for his family and friends."

Hatori didn't say anything but the look in his eyes asked how she predicted this.

"He may be only a few hours old, Hari-chan, but he's a very intelligent baby."

Hatori looked at her, confused.

"He has the ability, Hari-chan, to speak to people mentally... telepathy. I know telekinesis, though I don't like to use it... You can erase memories, though hate to use it. Our son, knows telepathy. All you have to do is open your mind a bit."

Hatori seemed a bit confused and shocked, but did as Enjeru had told him. Soon he was overwhelmed with the slightly childish yet mature thoughts of his son. He watched Enjeru however, who reached up to the boy now named Hiroshi and stroked his hand with a finger. The small baby grasped his mother's finger, but kept sleeping. Enjeru's eyes became heavy, and her hand slipped from Hiroshi's hand, falling to the bed. Hatori leaned down and whispered to her to sleep. She let out a small whine of protest but fell into sleep anyway.

Surprisingly to Hatori and Enjeru, Ayame nor any of the other Sohma's visited the hospital except Yuki, Tohru and Momiji. They had left the day before Enjeru was allowed to leave with Hiroshi though. Enjeru had proved to be a very good mother, taking care of her baby very well. And Hatori had proved to be a very supporting father as well. He helped Enjeru in any and all ways he could, especially while they were in the hospital room.

Currently it was about eight o'clock at night, Hatori was helping Enjeru into the car, which she insisted that she sit in the back seat, where she could hold Hiroshi without endangering him. Hatori complied to it, though really wanted them up in the passenger's seat next to him. Though he shrugged it off a little. He never thought anything bad would happen. Enjeru was laughing with him at something she had said, the light still red, Hiroshi in her arms. Squealing tires filled the air, Hatori and Enjeru's heads snapped up just as a swerving car was too close and going too fast to stop.

Enjeru screamed. Hiroshi began to cry. Hatori pulled his arms over his face. Bending metal and breaking glass filled the air. Enjeru covered Hiroshi as best as she could, pulling her legs up to block the glass. Sickening screeches of crushing and bending metal. Horrifying crashes of glass. Faintly Hatori could be hear yelling out in pain. Then there was sudden silence, only the crying of Hiroshi could be heard and Enjeru's ragged, slightly wheezing, breaths. Enjeru opened her eyes. The front of the car was completely smashed, and she could see from where she was sitting that the driver of the other car was either unconscious, or dead. Though, she couldn't see Hatori. She called his name, not getting a response. She shifted slightly, unbuckling her seatbelt. She leaned forward, rocking Hiroshi in her arms, trying to calm him. When Enjeru looked over at the Driver's seat, she couldn't speak.

Hatori's legs, up to his hips were crushed beneath the metal of the car. His face had suffered damage from the glass, his arms cut badly. She reached over, cradling Hiroshi in one arm, and shook Hatori lightly, whispering his name, her voice going hoarse as tears filled her eyes.

"Hari-chan... come on Hari-chan, wake up... Hari-chan, don't die on me... Hari-chan, Hiroshi needs his father," Enjeru cried.

Hatori looked at her, the life leaving his eyes, though he got out one sentence, "I want, to see you and Hiroshi... one last time."

Enjeru's eyes filled with more tears as she held her unharmed son within view of his father.

"I love you both, more than you can imagine."

"Don't leave me... please don't leave me... don't leave Hiroshi... please..."

Hatori gave her a smile, "I'll never leave you... or Hiroshi. I'll always... be here."

Enjeru began to yell as she cried, wanting to help Hatori now, as he was bleeding from the mouth, his skin becoming so pale, he already looked dead. Though he reached up and touched her face before his hand dropped to the metal that had crept into his lap during the collision. Hiroshi cried more with his mother. Hatori was dead.

---

A police man was nice enough to drop Enjeru and Hiroshi off at Ayame's. There were bandages on her legs and arms as well as one on her face, but she was fine, more hurt and grieving than anything. She used her powers to help her more than anything at these times, rolling herself in with telekinesis. Ayame met her at the door, shocked. Yet he helped her in, and helped her settle down as she placed a sleeping Hiroshi in the bed she used to occupy. Ayame wanted to know what happened so they went into another room where Enjeru wailed uncontrollably.


	10. Chapter 10

-Chapter 10-

-Five Years Later-

"Shishi-chan, Shishi-chan, I need your help," Enjeru called from the small living area in Hatori's home, which was now Enjeru's, on the main Sohma property.

A small five-year-old boy with dark brown hair and brilliant, intelligent green eyes came into the room wearing his fighting gi outfit. Today being Sunday, and two days after his fifth birthday, Hiroshi was a proud student of the same man who taught Kyou, Yuki, Haru and Kagura how to fight. He adored the lessons and pledged to help people with what he learned, having his lessons on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday.

"What's wrong mommy?" He asked innocently.

"We're going to go to your Uncle 'Gure's house to meet with your Uncle Ayame, Uncle Yuki and Aunt Tohru," Enjeru said with a smile.

"We're visiting Daddy today, aren't we?" Hiroshi asked his voice saddening as he felt the wave of mental pain in his mother.

"Yeah, we are," Enjeru, said softly, looking down.

"Mommy ... don't cry."

Enjeru sniffled a little, glancing at the picture of Hatori on a shelf just a few feet away, "I'll be alright, now go get ready, we're going to leave soon."

Hiroshi looked at his mother shortly before leaving the room to go do as his mother said. Despite how protective little Hiroshi was, he was also very sneaky. He had noticed that his mother was becoming mentally weaker every year that passed, and wondered if it was due to her sickness before. Though the years never showed in her face, it showed when she thought. Hiroshi could hear them. How distraught she was every time he mentioned his father. And despite her efforts to keep the images of Hatori dying in the car that day, away from him, he still saw them, and understood a little why she was so upset. He knew that his parents were not married, though engaged and three days after he proposed to her, he died.

With these thoughts in mind, Hiroshi dressed quickly in a black turtleneck, black dress pants and shoes. He combed his brown hair almost like his father had, before going out to meet with his mother. She smiled kindly at him, and Hiroshi dismissed it before, but noticed that she was wearing a long black dress, one that looked similar to one that his Aunt Hana had worn. She hugged him tightly and rolled herself outside with Hiroshi walking with her step by step to match the pace of his mother's wheelchair.

Enjeru had called a cab, though once they got to the main gate the taxi had driven away. Enjeru sighed, upset at this turn of events, but heard someone clear their throat to her right, and she turned to see Hatsuharu standing there next to a nice black sports car. He smiled a little and asked her if she needed a ride. She answered with an affirmative. Hiroshi was delighted to see "Uncle" Haru and even more delighted that he had be able to ride in Haru's car. Hatsuharu helped Enjeru into the passenger's side and Hiroshi climbed into the backseat. Haru got into the driver's side and started his way to Shigure's home.

Haru admitted to shooing off the taxi driver, as well as knowing that nearly everyone was going to be there. Enjeru tensed up a little after hearing this, but sighed and watched houses go by. Haru sighed, seeing the woman he had respected for having more guts than he had when it came to Akitou, so down and still dwelling on the past, acting as if Hatori's death had happened just last week.

"Enjeru-san, it's going to be alright, you know?" Haru said which pulled Enjeru out of her own world.

"What?" Enjeru asked him, Hiroshi leaning in a little to hear the conversation too.

"It's going to be alright. I'm sure that if Hatori-san had wanted to go out any other way, it'd be with you and Hiroshi-chan in his sight, tellin' you he loved you before he died. And he did that, right?"

Enjeru paused for a while, the memory resurfacing, Hiroshi seeing it, "yeah... he did."

"He died lovin' you; don't beat yourself up too much about it. I know you're sad, but he's no longer in pain, no longer in danger. And with you and Hiroshi as his last memories, I'm sure he's happy now."

"Haru..." Enjeru said softly.

"Hm?"

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Haru did not say another word and just kept driving to Shigure's house.

Haru, Hiroshi and Enjeru were the last ones to arrive at Shigure's home, where everyone was meeting. It was a nice spring day, and things looked almost too joyous to really be a part of this anniversary of Hatori's death. Though everyone made their way to the plot where Hatori was buried, near a lake and beneath an apple tree on the grounds of a very lovely shrine where a good portion of the Sohma's were buried, including every Angel that ever belonged to the Sohma family.

Upon Hatori's gravestone was a picture of a dragon, the stone reading his name, his birth date and the day he died. On top of the grave was a picture of Hatori, the gravesite already had flowers before it and it was cleaned. Enjeru sat in front of the grave, Hiroshi stood next to her while many talked amongst themselves. She gently touched the stone, which marked Hatori's resting place, her eyes softening, memories coming up from him. Suddenly everything hushed, and Hiroshi stood in front of his mother. Enjeru looked up at him confused, but soon she understood why her son had stepped before her.

Akitou came into view at that moment. Enjeru told Hiroshi to step away, he did not like his mother gentle command, but he complied anyway. He stood next to her again, and the intensity rose in the air.

Akitou walked up to the grave, his voice was cold, yet somehow seemingly gentle, "hello Enjeru."

"Hello Akitou, are you feeling much better?" Enjeru asked, trying to act as if the meeting was normal.

"Much."

There was a stiff silence, but was soon broken by Enjeru.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

"I came to see Hatori," he said as he picked up the picture of Hatori, "I want to see you tomorrow, we need to have a little talk Enjeru. We haven't spoken in a long time."

Enjeru nodded a little, "I'll be there."

"Good," Akitou replied with a small smile that turned into a slight grin as he placed Hatori's picture back onto the stone grave, "I'll see you then. Come around lunch time, we can have lunch together like old times."

"Alright."

When Akitou turned and left, Hatori's picture rocked and fell from the stone. Enjeru caught it before it hit the ground and sighed in relief as she gently placed it back on the stone. Hiroshi tensed up and when Akitou was completely gone he yelled at his mother, telling her that the reasons his father did certain things was to protect her, and now she was going to go and just hand herself over to Akitou. She told him calmly that he should not over react, and that she was not handing herself over to Akitou. She agreed with Akitou that it was high time that they talked. She knew how to defend herself, and she reminded Hiroshi of this.

Despite the reasons that she gave her son, Hiroshi still angrily ran off. Enjeru sighed and reached for her wheelchair, but Hatsuharu as well as Momiji had told her not to.

"We'll take care of it Enjeru-san," Hatsuharu said before both Momiji and him ran off after Hiroshi.

Enjeru sighed, "Shishi-chan isn't normally like this... He almost never gets angry..."

"Enjeru-kun, he may feel responsible, at least a little. You know how he is a little more than we do, he's heard everyone's thoughts on the subject," Shigure said calmly.

"Why would he feel responsible for Hari-chan's death?"

"Because if you didn't have Hiroshi, then Hatori wouldn't have died in that damn car crash," Kyou answered in his normal "don't be stupid" tone.

Enjeru's eyes filled with tears, her hands clenching into fists.

"See what you've done, you stupid cat. It's still a sensitive subject you idiot," Yuki said harshly to Kyou.

"It's been five damn years since Hatori died, she should get over it!"

"He asked her to marry him three days before he died, they loved each other, and you think that only five years is enough time to get over his death? How pathetic."

Tohru tried to calm her husband, Yuki, happily married for two years now, and Kyou as best as she could, but her efforts didn't help at all. Kisa and Kagura tried to help, but their efforts didn't do much more than Tohru's did. Ayame just hugged his younger sister, and Hiro had decided not to get involved.

"SHUT IT!" Enjeru yelled, tears streaming down her face as she looked up to them, silence coming over everyone, "just shut it."

"Onee-chan..?" Yuki asked her, looking extremely surprised.

"I've dealt enough with the pity for five years... it's time I moved on. I can't live forever with pity surrounding me, and Hari-chan's death as a protective reminder that nothing lasts forever... That's why I'll meet with Akitou tomorrow. Just... stop arguing over something so pointless. Hari-chan is dead, there's nothing I can do about that. But all of you bringing it up all of the time doesn't help me in trying to move on. I'll never forget how Hari-chan and I lived together, I'll never forget how he took care of me, but I have to move on."

"Imotto... We miss him too, don't forget that," Ayame said to her kindly.

"I know... now... can I go talk to my son...?"

Everyone around her nodded, and Ayame helped her into her wheelchair. She almost angrily wiped the tears from her face as she wheeled herself towards where Hiroshi had run off to. Hatsuharu and Momiji had calmed Hiroshi down, to the point of hopeless crying and a position of helplessness. Hiroshi cried into Haru's lap, Momiji trying to comfort him. Once Enjeru was close enough, she said her son's name softly. The boy looked up with swollen eyes, tears streaming down his flushed face. His bright green eyes, drowning in tears.

"M-m-momm-m-ma... I-I'm s-s-sorry..." he stuttered in response, repeating a stuttered "I'm sorry" repeatedly as he hugged his mother tightly around her waist, kneeling in front of her.

She leaned over a little, one of her hands threaded into his hair, the other on his back, rubbing it gently, "it's alright... don't worry about it."

"I-I d-d-didn't... d-did-n't m-me-ean t-to y-yell at-t y-y-you..."

She cooed, "sh," over and over to him, telling him softly that it would be alright.

The boy denied it, but his mother kept reassuring him, even when they left late that night from Shigure's, she kept on giving him reassuring looks.

--

Hiroshi was reluctant to leave his mother the next morning yet did so before he'd be late for school. He tried not to show too much that he was worried about her visit with Akitou later that day, but he could not help but let a little bit slide. He slowly left the house that morning before running to school, wearing his school uniform, a pair of tan shorts, and a tan shirt that buttoned up to his neck. Around his neck was a necklace that had a symbol of a dragon dangling from the chain, in remembrance of his father.

Enjeru watched him run off, knowing how worried he was, and watching him run off, it reminded her of Hatori, so much that she had to turn away and remind herself that Hatori was dead. However, that did not even work this time. She was reminded of times when Ayame, Shigure and Hatori did not care about much of what happened around them. They had no worries, no real cares. Of course, Enjeru was just four years old when this was, Ayame, Hatori and Shigure being five. She remembered watching them play around, how joyous they were. Shigure and Ayame goofing off like normal, Hatori telling them things like, maybe they shouldn't play in a certain area. Of course, Hatori would be right, and the boys were scolded later for their ignorance.

Enjeru broke down in tears for a few minutes. That was one time when Enjeru was very weak, when she was four years old. Enjeru had appeared to be just like a lump on a log. No one was sure she was going to live very long then. She was sick all of the time, and was not allowed out a lot. She could not walk, so she would not bother trying and found herself staring out the window watching anything she could, draw, or read.

Enjeru shook her head, clearing her mind of the memories. She looked to the clock and found that she only had an hour before she was supposed to head over to the main section of the building. She sighed and was about to go and do something when there was a knock. Enjeru turned and opened the door only to see Tohru and Yuki. Her brother looked worried, while Tohru had a big smile on her face.

"Enjeru-san!" Tohru said excitedly as she left her shoes and hugged Enjeru tightly.

"Good morning Tohru-kun. What brings you two here?" Enjeru asked, hugging Tohru back.

"We wanted to make sure nothing bad happened with you and Akitou-sama," Yuki said.

"Oh Yuki... nothing bad will happen. We're just going to have lunch. Akitou-san has never hurt me during any meeting like the one we'll be having. Besides, I can take care of myself. Goodness, you're just like Hiroshi-chan."

Tohru stood, "well, while I'm here, I can do some things for you like cleaning. It seems that it would be hard to clean if you have to sit in a wheelchair all of the time."

"Tohru-kun, you don't have to-"

"But I want to! I wanted to do something for you and this is just something I can do. Well... that is, if you don't mind. I can do it while you're with Akitou-sama."

Enjeru sighed, beaten, "alright... if you really want to."

Tohru nodded with a smile.

"Hiroshi-chan's at school then?" Yuki inquired.

"Yes, he was reluctant to go, but he did, once he reached the gates he ran there. I hope he's alright," Enjeru said, glancing towards the door.

"I think Hiroshi-chan will be fine. Him not wanting to leave just shows that he really cares. And I think he's scared that he'll come back and you'll be hurt, or something will happen and he'll come back and not find you. He thinks he's responsible for Hatori-san's death, and if anything happened to you, I think he'd feel responsible for that. He just wants to protect you," Tohru said with a smile.

Enjeru gave a soft smile back, "yeah... you're right."

Not too long later, Enjeru left the small house and went to Akitou's. There a maid helped her into Akitou's room, leaving her wheelchair behind in the hallway. Akitou waited for her with a soft, yet cold look about his features. He smiled at her and she politely smiled back. Food was brought out to them and it was ignored as Akitou assessed her, and she assessed him. She found that he seemed calm today. He was calmer since Hiroshi was born and healthier as well.

"Good afternoon Enjeru-san. How have you been?" Akitou asked with that gentle yet harsh tone.

"I've been alright, and how have you been? I see that you seem to be doing much better than before," Enjeru replied.

"I've been doing much better."

There was a long silence was held before Akitou spoke up again.

"You were upset when Hatori died, I was too. And if it wasn't for you, he wouldn't have died," Akitou said, anger growing in his voice.

"Hatori-chan was happy that Hiroshi-chan was born, he loved Hiroshi-chan. Hari-chan would have not wanted anything less than his son being born and loved. You may believe that it is Hiroshi-chan's and my own fault for Hatori-chan's death, but I would not have wanted anything to happen to him," Enjeru said calmly, placing down the cup of tea she had been drinking from, onto the table.

Akitou stood angrily, rounding the table, "you _killed_ him Enjeru!"

Enjeru looked at him calmly, "it was a drunk driver who lost control of his car that killed Hari-chan."

Akitou slapped her across the face, shoving her into the table. She let out a yelp. The table shifted, tilting and crashed onto the floor. Plates, cups, whatever was on the table shattered, scattered over the wood around Enjeru and Akitou. Enjeru picked herself up from the floor. She let out a small cry when she had put her hand down on the floor, immediately pulling it back up to see glass in her hand, blood beginning to gather and roll out in dark red beads, leaving it's trail behind.

"You KILLED Hatori, Enjeru! You killed him; it's all your fault!" Akitou shouted.

"It wasn't me, Akitou, it wasn't me!" Enjeru pleaded, her focus snapping from her hand to Akitou.

He hit her again, shoving her back against the glass of broken dishes and cups on the floor. Enjeru let out a shrill yelp. She tried to force herself to transform, but she could not. She could not reach it. Moreover, she was in too much of a panic and in too much pain to even think. Enjeru cried in pain, making soft yet high-pitched squeaks. Enjeru's head was pounding, white-hot pain seeming to vibrate within her skull.

She could not hear the rushing feet and the door bursting open. Nevertheless, she saw her son standing there, breathing heavily, dark brown hair thrown back from running, his cheeks flushed with red colour of the slight strain. Akitou stood there, a scowl on his face; the want to hurt was high in his eyes and in his features. However, Hiroshi did not back down, his green eyes determined to protect his mother.

"Hiroshi, get out of here!" Enjeru yelled at her sun, struggling to get up, parts of her hair were dark red, near black, with blood, it dripping to the floor.

"No momma! Akitou-sama shouldn't treat you like this! If he wants to blame anyone, he should blame-"Hiroshi shouted, and then was cut off by Akitou.

"IT WAS YOU!" Akitou yelled as he nearly threw Hiroshi into a wall.

Hiroshi hit the wall with such force that it knocked him out and the small boy slumped to the floor. Enjeru screamed and tried to get to her son, but was held back by Akitou. He twisted her arm back, hurting her to keep her from pulling away too soon.

"Did you forget our deal? You were supposed to kill Tohru Honda! But did you? Did you? No! Instead, you got pregnant you whore! And with that kid you killed Hatori! You killed him you filthy, disgusting, bitching whore!" Akitou yelled at her, throwing her away from himself.

Once Enjeru stopped skidding, her head nearly hitting the wall, she spoke, "I did not kill Hatori, and our son was created through my love for Hatori, and his love for me. That boy will continue to live with my love. You will not take him away from me. And Yuki is happy with Tohru, and I will not hurt that."

Akitou grabbed her by the roots of her hair, glaring at her face, "why do you defy me! WHY?"

"Because, I was born to teach you, that compassion and care can win over the harshness and the cruelty that you express. Hiroshi was born with that message."

"Are you trying to preach to me!"

"Akitou, you have a bit talk about being the head of this family, but you are a child in maturity and mental capacity to comprehend other people. A leader is not a good leader without some compassion for the people he rules over."

"Shut up! How could you know? Why do you think you are higher than I?"

"Because I don't act like low life scum like you do," Enjeru said smoothly and calmly.

"You WHORE!" Akitou yelled, throwing the back of her head into the wall behind her.

As she sunk to the floor, everything fading from her view, she heard Akitou yell that he hoped that she never woke up again as he left the room. After he left, she entered the unconscious bliss as she passed out, the pain fading from her body, the smell of blood and the feel of tension and hostility in the air dissipated.

Hiroshi came to, and once he realized what was going on around him, ran to his mother, panic in his features. He saw she was breathing, and even though he hated to leave her, he did to get his uncle. Once Yuki and Tohru heard the news, Tohru called for an ambulance, while Yuki helped with his sister.


	11. Chapter 11

-Chapter 11-

-With You Always-

Enjeru woke much later within the hospital room she now stayed in. The room was dark, muted by the curtains that hung over the window. The buzz of multiple machines rang through the otherwise silent room. The room was very monotone, white walls, white ceiling, white curtains, gray/silver machines. Something dark in her lap caught her eye. She looked down to see Hiroshi laying in her lap, wearing a black, biker style jacket that she registered as Hatsuharu's jacket. Beneath it she caught the glimpse of hospital pajama's with slippers. Hiroshi was sleeping soundlessly, his deep breathing reassuring her that he wouldn't wake up for a couple of hours.

Enjeru noticed something odd. She moved her head to find her hair short. She grasped at it, her hair only coming above her shoulders now. She started to breathe heavily, scared, looking for what happened before she was in the room. She saw her hand bandaged, several patched areas, a few stitches. She started to shake, terrified. She couldn't remember what happened. She couldn't feel anything except the weight of her son's head on her thigh, his hand near her knee, his back against her other leg. She saw a shadow pass her door, heard the loud noise of it opening.

She freaked. Desperately looking around for a possible exit. She didn't care who entered. She didn't even see who entered.

Suddenly a hand came over her mouth as she was about to rasp out a protest, something. A soothing voice entered her ear, telling her that everything would be alright. Her bright green eyes softened, as the voice of Yuki clicked in her head. She looked over at him, his bright violet eyes worried, lost sleep showing in his face. Despite all of the worry that showed, he smiled at her gently, glancing down at Hiroshi then back at her.

"If I let you talk, will you scream? I know you hate hospitals..," Yuki said gently.

She shook her head and he took his hand off of her mouth.

"Hiroshi-chan has been worried about you. He refused to stay in his own room," Yuki said softly as he pulled over a chair and sat.

Enjeru glanced down at her son and smiled gently, a bit of sadness in her eyes, "what happened? I can't remember how I got here or why..."

"You don't remember?" Yuki asked quietly, shock entering his voice.

"No... I don't. I remember that Hiroshi was worried about me... and I had told him that it would be alright, but I can't remember why or any events that would lead me to here, or why my hair is so short..." Pain entered her voice, her eyes softening, the look on her face was pleading as she turned to her brother.

"You had a lunch meeting with Akitou-sama. You both argued, Hiroshi-chan ran home from school and tried to stop Akitou-sama, but he was thrown into a wall. Akitou-sama became even angrier with you, finally threw your head straight into a wall... Hiroshi came too and informed Tohru-chan and I, his hands were covered in blood.. after we saw you, it was apparent that it was your blood he was covered in. You were bleeding pretty badly, we didn't know if you were going to make it or not."

Enjeru's eyes widened as the memories came back as Yuki spoke, "I... I remember..."

Enjeru looked down, tears entering her eyes, "but that doesn't explain my hair being so short..."

Yuki swallowed, "they had to cut it, to stitch up a large gash in the back of your head... the doctor said that you are on a lot of pain killers... so you won't feel any pain. Hiroshi thinks it's his fault you were hurt."

Enjeru looked as if she was stabbed in the gut, tears spilling out of her eyes, "it never was... it never will be... never..." she reached over to Hiroshi and stroked his hair, "never was it your fault Hiroshi... never... not before, not now..."

Yuki watched, pain in his eyes and face.

Hiroshi stirred slightly and opened his eyes slowly, it took him a little while to notice his mother's hand on his head, but when he did, he gasped, looking up to his broken down mother.

He reached up to his mother's face as he sat up, his eyes filling with tears, "M-M-Momma..? Why... Why are you crying..?"

"Hiroshi... never think... that any of this is your fault... none of it is. None of it, you hear me?" Enjeru cried.

"Momma..." Hiroshi bawled as he hugged his mother tightly.

Days later, Enjeru was still in the hospital. The doctor was concerned about the healing of her wounds. Enjeru's wounds had not started to close up yet, and her immune system was beginning to fail. She was raspy, coughing, and pale due to fever. She didn't have the energy she normally had, and felt as if she couldn't go on for much longer.

Hiroshi stayed with her all of the time. Family rotated in to see her, Yuki and Tohru being there a lot with Ayame and Shigure.

The doctor came in one day, asking everyone to leave so that Enjeru and he could speak alone. Enjeru nodded, and Hiroshi reluctantly left. The doctor was kind, though had a sorrowful look upon his features. Enjeru smiled at him a little, hope on her face. The doctor saw this and tried to give her one back as he sat on the edge of her bed beside her, but it failed and turned into a worried frown.

"Sohma-san..." The doctor started.

"You can call me by my first name sir." Enjeru cut in.

"Sorry, Enjeru-san, I have... some bad news."

Enjeru became worried, "what is it?"

"We may be mistaken... but we believe that you may have a brain tumor. We will have to take you down the hall to be sure. However, until we are sure, don't be alarmed. It could be nothing. We just think that the blow to the head you took a few days ago may have created this tumor and is blocking your ability to create platelets in your blood. In other words, the veins won't be able to close up if it can't create platelets."

Enjeru bit her bottom lip as she looked down, "how long until we're sure?"

"A few hours. The scan will take about an hour to an hour and a half to do. A technician will look over it, and then I will. I'll inform you right away when we come to a conclusion."

Enjeru nodded.

"Enjeru-san, this may be a personal question, but your son, his father is Hatori Sohma, isn't it?" The doctor asked in an almost concerned tone.

Enjeru nodded in response, "yes, though Hari-chan died shortly after Hiroshi was born."

"I see… I'm sorry to hear that. Though, Hiroshi-san reminds me a little of Hatori-san. We met once in medical school, had a class together."

Enjeru nodded.

"I'm sorry, Enjeru-san. Um, if we go do the test now, I can get you the results before dinner comes around." The doctor said, standing, returning to his professional persona.

"Well, let's get it over with then," Enjeru said with a sigh, looking back at the doctor.

Five minutes until dinner comes around. Enjeru was vaguely watching the clock. Hiroshi was slightly bored, though still worried about his mother. Many of the Sohmas had work, though some were coming home. Momiji wanted to spend dinner with Enjeru and Hiroshi, he'd be arriving any minute now. The door suddenly opened as Enjeru was helping Hiroshi with a word search. Enjeru looked up to see the doctor.

"Enjeru-san, can I speak to you alone?" The doctor asked.

"Can you wait outside of the room for a little dear? I promise it'll be quick," Enjeru whispered into her son's ear.

Hiroshi looked reluctant, but he obeyed anyway. He nodded and slid off the bed, taking the word search and pencil with him, giving a worried look to the doctor before he left.

"Enjeru-san, I have some bad news," the doctor said gently.

"What kind of bad news?" Enjeru asked eyes widened.

"In that scan, we found that what we thought might have been a tumor is not… but is in fact something much worse…"

"What is it sir? Please tell me."

And when he uttered the horrible disease that had infected itself into her brain, Momiji and Hiroshi had just walked into the room. When he spoke that five letter word that would change their lives forever, the room became deathly silent. Momiji and Hiroshi, both understanding instantly the severity of the diagnosis. The doctor had uttered the word, Cancer. He told her that she had tumor before, and that it was hardly noticeable, but because of the other hits to the head, something had gone wrong and the tumor was now cancerous. What was worse was, he told her that the cancer had spread. It wasn't just in one area. It was in at least a fourth of her nervous system and couldn't be removed unless she wanted to be put on life support.

Enjeru was so shocked and in disbelief that she just sat there, still. Pale as if she had just seen a ghost, and her worst fears washed up onto her face. Momiji stood as stiff as a board, and Hiroshi was shaking, but too scared to move. This wasn't something he could fight, so Hiroshi had no idea what to do. He couldn't fight this. No one really could. And now he felt that because he couldn't protect his mother, this was his fault. Because he couldn't protect what happened to his mother, this entire situation, the cancer was his fault. And because his father wasn't alive to keep up the continuous checkups, they couldn't have found it sooner and gotten rid of it before it turned into this. His father not being there was also his fault he felt. It was all his fault. All of this.

His eyes filled with tears before he cried, "Momma, I'm so sorry, it's my fault," before he ran out of the door and down the hall.

"Hiroshi!" She yelled after him, but he was already out the door.

Momiji snapped out of his daze and muttered a, "I'll go after him," before he ran out of the door, following the path the boy had taken.

Hiroshi refused to go back to his mother, terrified that he'd do something that would cause anything else to happen to her. He was absolutely terrified. Momiji had told Enjeru about Hiroshi, and took him to stay with Ayame. Hiroshi barely spoke to anyone, he barely opened his mouth.

The doctors really wanted Enjeru to stay within the hospital, but they let her go home for a weekend. Hatsuharu drove her to Ayame's that day. He was nice, gentle, tried his best not to change to black Haru. Everyone was kind to her. Everyone tried their best not to fight, tried their best not to say anything wrong. They all sat around, Rin sitting in the window sill, Hatsuharu sitting a little below her. Ayame sat next to her and Yuki on her other side. Tohru sat on the floor next to them. Momiji, Kisa and Hiro all sat on the couch across from them with Shigure sitting in a chair beside them.

They all were nice, not mentioning anything that could hurt Enjeru.

But Rin opened her mouth, not thinking of what it could trigger.

"That cancer's going to kill you, isn't it?" Rin asked, looking over.

Enjeru's eyes softened as she looked down, small tears gathering in her eyes.

"Rin-" Yuki started before Enjeru cut him off.

"Don't try to make it better than it really is Yuki. This cancer is going to kill me... My son thinks that this is his fault. And even though it's not... he will always think it is. This cancer's going to kill me while he will only remember the pain I've been in and thinking it was his fault. There's no way to prevent it. Absolutely no way," she said, her hands squeezing together, tears gathering into her eyes.

Suddenly Shigure put his hand on her folded ones as he leaned over the table, "Enjeru, this isn't like you. You've never thought negatively about anything, so why start now? Would Hari-kun want to hear you say these things? Would he?"

Enjeru looked up at Shigure's face, of which gave a gentle smile back at her. Tears began to pour from her face as his last question repeated over and over in her mind, echoing and an answer not forming within the empty walls of her head. Everything went still, an almost deathly calm.

"No… no he wouldn't…" came her soft, barely audible reply.

"Enjeru-onee, you've been strong for all of us, now it is our time to be strong for you," Yuki said gently.

- - -

The doctor had given her no more than a week to live. At this time, she was attached to so many machines, it was barely possible to see Enjeru as she used to be. She was so thin, it seemed as if she was skin on bones. She was sleeping most of the time, none of the life that used to be her left within that body. You were lucky to see Enjeru open and close her hands, it hurt too much for her to move them. Ayame closed his shop so he could watch his little sister. He had hoped that his presence would help reenergize her. But nothing did.

A day passed, and now the doctors were assisting her breathing. She'd die any day now, any hour… Not much hope was left for the single mother.

She held on. One more day.

Momiji came in, with Hiroshi at his side. Hiroshi was bawling, he didn't want to go near his mother. Didn't want to see her condition, her pain. He didn't want to be the cause of that anymore. But when he saw her, he froze. He wondered a little if that was what cancer did to people. He wondered faintly if his mother was still alive, if she'd look at him after what he'd done.

Momiji gently guided him to the side of the bed, and amazingly, Enjeru was awake. She turned her head a little and smiled gently at Hiroshi. The small boy barely recognized his mother. The thin woman reached out to her son and stroked his hair, showing great pain on her face. She reached up with her other hand and lowered the mask that helped her breathe.

She looked so old to Hiroshi, and spoke much like she was over 80.

"Hiroshi-chan… I held on to see you… I wanted to see you… before I left…" Enjeru said as Hiroshi began to bawl harder than he had before, "I want to tell you… that.. I'll be with you always… your father and I… He's been waiting for me…. I hate to leave you… I really do… But… I want you to tell everyone… even Akitou… that… The next head of the Sohma house… will be kind to everyone… And will love and cherish their existence… even the cat's…"

Through his tears, Hiroshi nodded.

"Remember, … I'll always love you… And I'm always with you… no matter what."

Hiroshi nodded again, taking his mother's hand, "M-Momma… don't leave me… please don't leave me… I love you momma… don't leave me…"

"Hiroshi… you weren't listening…" She said gently, "I may leave this world… but I'll always be with you… I love you Hiroshi…"

Enjeru's eyes started to close, her hand going limp in her son's hands. The loud noise of one of the machines, alerting that the patient attached to it, no longer had a heart beat rang loudly. Hiroshi began to cry and shout to his mother to come back, that he loved her and that he'd be a better son. But she was already gone.

Momiji and Ayame ran to get a doctor, but the doctor only shut off the machine and told them that she was already gone.

- - -

When the machine had signaled Enjeru's death, at the same time, an ambulance was at the Sohma main house. Akitou was being carted out on a stretcher, paler than death. Akitou had experienced a heart attack, and with no one around to help him, he had died.

- - -

A week later, the rest of the zodiac family gathered around Enjeru's grave, and carved upon the cold hard stone was a set of angel's wings and this: "A mother, a friend, and a sister, over looking the family like a guardian angel, spreading her message like a messenger. Shall her words invoke the strength in everyone, from this world and to the next. Enjeru Sohma, Our Messenger Angel"

- - -

A new head of the house was born, and he grew under Hiroshi's influence and became a kind and loving leader. The cat was allowed into the zodiac and to the New Year's banquet. Hiroshi grew up to be a doctor, following in the footsteps of his father.


End file.
